Eden
by jlthdprgy
Summary: A continuation of Legend of Korra in which Korra never received her bending after it was taken by Amon. Her friends have lost contact with each other and are scattered across the city now. Korra tries to cope with her situation and find her purpose, but as she faces a new evil in the city, an ancient one is awakening.
1. What Defines Us

**/*Update: The cover picture is not mine, but the outfit inspired me. I got the picture from this guy's tumblr:**

** post/27755576714/warmup-of-the-day-7-22-post-apocalyptic  
**

**This is my continuation of Legend of Korra. It is a big project and will include Books 2,3, and 4. Book 2 starts here (Book 2: Spirits). I go through the books in a nonlinear order, but you will see when I switch them, and there will be a purpose to it.**

**This story continues where season 1 left off with the exception that Korra never got her bending back. After Mako confesses his love for Korra, she turns him away and goes to be alone (like the show). However, she does not receive her bending back as she does in the show. Mako and everyone else returns to Republic City while Korra remains in the South Pole trying to cope. My story shows how Korra deals with her situation, and the valuable things she learns as she tries to take down a new evil in Republic City which may be provoking the awakening from an ancient one.*/  
**

**Book 2: Spirits  
**

-What Defines Us-

_What am I doing?_

Korra sat in her bed, meditating. Meditating and training was all that Korra had been doing over the months. Through meditation, she hoped to somehow tap back into her bending and undo this curse that Amon had placed on her.

Korra hated Amon for so long, but when she learned about his and Tarlokk's death, she started having other thoughts about him after a while. She felt ashamed for hating him so much. He was a man who wanted what was best for the world. His tactics became extreme to the point of violence. Yeah, that was bad. But no one is ever purely evil. Everyone who does evil things truly believes it is for good reasons. That is the scariest part of all. Sometimes those people are right.

_What am I doing?_

Whether or not Amon's goal was justified, Korra was still depressed. She had been depressed ever since returning to the Southern Water Tribe to be told by Katara that she would never bend again. Korra has remained there with her parents even after the rest of her old crew left to go back to Republic City. Korra couldn't bear seeing the city again.

At first Korra thought her sadness was due to that fact that she had no bending. Some intrinsic part of her had been taken. But when she remembered the words of Tarlokk, the night he bloodbent her, she realized that bending only meant power. She knew she did not lust for power. She was happy living the simplest of lives. So what was it? Her next idea for this huge weight was failure. Korra had failed as the Avatar. She lost her powers to bend and would never retrieve them. The world depended on its Avatar and she would not be there to answer the call.

But did the world really depend on her? If she had not gone to Republic City, would the world have been able to defeat Amon? She was just one person, and in the end she never really used any of her bending to stop him. In fact, she just exposed him to destroy his foundation. It was all politics.

So what had her down? Korra had been anything but her usual happy self. She woke, ate, trained, meditated and slept without ever talking to anyone. She eventually just blamed it all on confusion. Confusion because she didn't know what it all meant. Whether it was bad that she lost it all. Whether the world really needed her. Whether she was still here to maintain balance. Korra suddenly felt insignificant. She had relied so heavily on her powers to define her role that now, without them, she was just confused about who she was.

Korra was still here. She was alive. Healthy, able. Did the loss of her bending really do a lot to her? Did Amon's "cleansing" really hurt anyone? Korra thought about the people who fought against him, people who would sacrifice themselves to save the idea of bending. To keep some old tradition that establishes power alive. Was that worth it? And in the end, no one gave up their lives, just their bending. What was so horrible about that? Normal people live and thrive in this world. It is almost insulting to them that we made a big deal out of this whole war. They probably didn't know why a war in Republic City even happened. It meant nothing to them. And neither did the Avatar.

Well, Korra was sure Amon had to be taken down. A psychotic bloodbender running the streets is not a good idea. But then again, is any bender running the streets a good idea? Is placing a gun in the hands of citizens and making it unable for them to rid themselves of it a good idea?

Korra had so many questions, but no answers. She spent nights watching the auroras and wondering why bending was ever brought about. Why the avatar even existed. And how things are different now that she has no powers. It made her tired. It destroyed her motivation. But soon, in the night, Korra began hearing a response to all these questions.

Korra woke to see a small child standing by her bedside. A hood veiled his face, but his clothes were unlike any clothing Korra had ever seen. It had strange patterns. The boy's skin was dark. He just smiled at her and whispered something Korra couldn't understand. She couldn't feel her limbs. Paralyzed. Unable to speak back. The boy said, "Shh" and then, "trust us."

Korra had a few nights where she would awaken to see this boy standing somewhere in her room with a darker figure behind it. She felt the source of her paralysis to be this darker figure, but she did feel threatened by these two hallucinations. They spoke in a very familiar voice that seemed very calming to her. They would just say cryptic things like, "soon", and "don't worry".

Soon these visitations stopped.

What replaced these two figures was a tall, much more sinister figure. It gave off an uncomfortable air. Korra awoke to see the figure wearing a long overcoat and a hood also concealing its face. All except the eyes. The eyes shined purple through the darkness. Korra could move. She sat up and looked at the figure. It spoke in what sounded like a woman's voice, but Korra could not understand it.

Korra would see this ghost quite frequenty, in mirrors and through windows. At one point, the spirit said, "Korrrra". Korra became afraid.

"Who are you?"

"The mother."

Korra reached out to touch the figure but her hand was met with some invisible force field. The figure began to laugh, and then disappeared. The force field disappeared as well. This kind of thing continued for a while, and Korra grew more and more detached from those around her.

One day, Korra's father, Tonraq, approached Korra, who was sitting some distance away from the house in the snow trying to think.

"Korra?"

Korra felt sad because she hadn't spoken with her father although he had tried to reach out to her. Her parents did not know what to do and didn't want her to do something drastic to herself. She had already contemplated suicide. Her father tried early on to speak to her but was met with silence. It had been several months. Korra was ashamed with herself. He loved her. He was patient and never stopped caring about her.

"Yes?" This lifted Tonraq's hopes.

"I have something I wanted to talk to you about. I know you are trying to meditate but it will be really quick."

"It's fine. I'm not…really doing anything actually right now. What is going on?"

"I want you to know that no matter what abilities you have, your mother and I love you very much and would never think any differently of you. We are so proud to have a daughter as wonderful as you."

"Gee dad…" Korra felt a little like her old self for a second and decided to please her Dad by showing it, "don't make me vomit."

Her father smiled. "Your mother…is worried about you, though. She wants you to take your time and figure things out on your own. I do as well, but I think I may know someone who can really help you learn more about…well, the spirits."

"You mean like my spiritual side? I thought I tapped into it back in Republic City. That is why I can airbend now, I think."

"Well, I'm not really sure. I think there is much more to it than airbending. I mean like spirits, like, the Spirit World. And this world. And the connection between those two things. Your mother and I never thought to bring this up before because we were told by the White Lotus that Tenzin could train your spiritual side. Well, he could train you in airbending, sure, but he knows almost nothing about spirits. Your uncle, however, knows everything."

"My uncle? Tomkin?"

"Yes, my brother." Korra's father loses his smile. "We never knew you had to learn anything about the spirit world. We just figured it was the elements you needed to learn. Your mother hoped I would never suggest my uncle to you, and so I never did. But I think his wisdom might be what you need to find whatever it is you are looking for. He is a brilliant man..."

"What about him? Why did you keep him a secret?"

"Your uncle knows much about the spirit world, but it came at a cost. He was troubled as a boy. He heard the cries of the dead and the demands of those that created and control this world. He thought he was going crazy, and he treated everyone like dirt to try and handle all of it. He soon found a balance, and could listen to them, and they taught him many things. A fighting style that uses the cosmic energy around us as guidance. He knows all there is to know about the spirit world, and probably, the Avatar. He will be able to help you, but he will not do so easily. To learn anything about the spirits, you need to understand the fighting style itself. It is necessary to feel the cosmic energy before you can understand what it all means. And so he will train you…" he looks down

"So?"

"My brother is one of the harshest trainers. He will beat you into the ground and feel no regret. He does not respond to disrespect or laziness kindly, even if you weren't doing anything wrong. Any act that suggests you are not giving it your all, he will snuff it out. He will resort to drastic measures to train you. He will verbally and physically abuse you if you are his student. It is up to you if you want his training, Korra. He is located near the southern air temple on Mt. Nyst. I have warned you. Your mind and body will hurt in ways that you have never experienced. You will be changed. But…just remember, my brother knows all there is to know about this world. If you truly want to understand your place in it, I just think it is best to understand the place itself first. I am truly sorry if you choose to do this, Korra. I can never be upset with you. I can never be happier with what you are. I wanted you to know because you deserve to know, but you have to prove nothing to me."

He rose. Before he left her he said one last thing. "Remember Korra. You are not defined by your bending. You are not defined by your role as the Avatar. You are only defined by Korra."


	2. Uncle Tomkin

-Uncle Tomkin-

Korra arrived via Naga at Mt. Nyst the following day after stowing away on a cargo ship, common mode of transportation for her in the old days. Korra ascended the long stairway to the summit of the mountain. The temperature seemed to drop all the way up the stairs, however her Uncle's estate at the top was very warm. The surrounding area was covered in snow so it seemed strange to Korra that this place was so warm.

Korra passed several training areas outside until she reached the porch of a small house where her Uncle Tomkin was waiting for her.

"Welcome!" he said, smiling. "Please, my girls will take your polar bear dog to our barn."

Just then, two small identical girls appeared at Korra's side and spoke in unison. "Don't worry, cousin! There is lots of room and food. Your friend will be safe!" The two led Naga off and left Korra and her uncle. Korra was extremely nervous. She shook with fear wondering if her uncle would just start beating the crap out of her.

"No need to be scared, Korra." He rose and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her and analyzing her. "I can see my brother in you. You were only a baby when I visited. Your mother never liked me. I guess I can't blame her." He turns and starts walking into the house, gesturing her to follow. "After all, I told her you were ugly. Mostly to make her mad. I am glad to see I was wrong. You turned out just fine. Would you like any rice or tea, niece?"

Korra was confused. This was the man who was brutal and troubled? He seemed so kind and giving. He had shown none of the personality traits her father explained. Korra felt relieved. She smiled. She was extremely happy she decided to come here. Tomkin had changed somehow. This training was going to be a snap.

Korra, Tomkin, and the twins sat to eat. The twins sat on either side of Tomkin. Her uncle reminded Korra of Tarlokk but older and with a beard. The twins were creepy, but they were very nice to her. They asked Korra about her life and Korra told a little about her time in Republic City fighting Amon.

"Good then," Tomkin said when they were done. "Korra, my girls will show you your room. Afterwards I will see you in the den. I need to speak to you."

Korra's room was small with a bed and a bathroom. The walls were stone. There was no window, just a hole in the wall to the outside world. The girls left giggling as Korra sauntered to the den where Tomkin was waiting.

"Have a seat Korra, be my guest. I heard you were coming today so I was ready. I am sorry to hear about your current situation. The reason I called you down here is because I want to be sure I know the reason for your visit."

Korra's heart began to beat. How did he know the reason for her coming here? How did he know that she'd come at all? He adopted a very serious tone all of a sudden as she asnwered. "I want to train with you. I want to learn more about spirits."

Tomkin's face changed. The air in the room changed as well. Korra's hairs on her neck stood up. "If you wish to be my student, then you will be up at dawn tomorrow. No later, no earlier. I'll be sure to have a wake-up call for you." He smiles, but it is not friendly. It is devious. It is sinister.

"Daddy is a very nice man!"

"Yeah! He loves us and cares for us very much!"

The twins tell Korra this when she returns to her room. Big happy smiles on their faces. They were very calm in nature and usually complemented each other's thoughts. Korra could see that they tried to contain their happiness behind a very controlled guise.

"I don't understand, my father said he was really tough with people," she says.

"No no no. Father is really kind to people. He is really tough with _students."_ The two girls smiled at this.

"You two look like you're up to something," Korra looked them over trying to find what they were hiding.

"Don't worry, Korra! You'll find out what we mean soon. Everything will be clear in the morning when your training starts," they both said.

At this moment Korra realized that she never even got her cousins' names.

"Ahna", said the left one, "And Akna", the other twin completed. Ahna and Akna. The two girls were very nice and promised to look after Naga because Korra would be too busy with training. Korra couldn't imagine her training taking up all her time such that she couldn't tend to her best friend.

"Oh it isn't the time," Ahna says.

"You'll just be physically unable by the end of the day," Akna completed her sister's sentence. The two smiled and then ran off, bidding Korra goodnight. She just stood there with a blank face at her cousins' final words. Korra suddenly dreaded the morning and felt as though she had unleashed some monster in Tomkin that she, up until now, didn't think was real after meeting her uncle.

Korra sat on her bed which was right next to the hole in the wall acting as a window. She looked out over the yard where various training areas were. She wondered where she would be first. First thing in the morning.

This morning will truly be evil.


	3. The Training Begins

-The Training Begins—

_FWAP_

Korra shot up and began rubbing her throbbing arm. Tomkin stood over her bed with a metal cane which he had just used as a wake-up call.

"The "Avatar" rises with the sun now," he said. Korra could already feel that he was different.

She had no time to get ready. No time to eat. She was outside, standing in the yard in the twilight. Tomkin stood before her. Korra could hardly stay awake. She hardly slept. She had not had the visions she had been having. Maybe since leaving the South Pole they have had trouble finding her again. Maybe being around Tomkin scared them. It was scaring Korra that was for sure.

Tomkin could tell she was thinking about things. He knew just from looking at her. She could almost feel him in her head and so she put everything out of her mind and focused on his glare. What did he want?

"You have come to learn from me, is that right?"

"Y-yes."

"Then you will refer to me as master in all speech."

"Yes, master."

"What is it you want to learn?"

Korra had to think about this one for a second. She had no clear answer as to why she was here. She was depressed, confused about what she was, confused about the things she started seeing, and just wanted something to do about it all. There was hope here for some purpose.

"To find my purpose, master" was Korra's answer.

"You think that I can give that to you?" he asked.

"I am not sure. There is a lot I don't know. There is a lot I…am confused about. And I want to figure out what I am supposed to do about what has happened to me, master."

"What has happened to you?"

Korra knew. She failed as the avatar. She lost her bending. She lost her bending which she spent so long learning and perfecting. But she could no longer meet the responsibilities of the avatar without them. She failed as the avatar, the first ever to fail.

"Well, if you are just going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself like a child you can see yourself out. I don't train hopeless cases. I train those who desire to learn. I train those who desire to discover the secrets of this world. The existence of that which flows from this world into the next. A power that one must sacrifice a great deal of themselves to understand, but this knowledge of the planet will prove to be more invaluable than any bending has ever been. Now, if you are just going to find some way to get your bending back, to undo your miserable failures, than I am not wasting my time."

Tomkin turned to go to his house. Korra was stunned. She had already messed this up before she even started.

"Wait, master! I want to learn. I want to know these things. I have had so many questions, questions about the nature of this planet and of myself and I just can't answer them on my own. No one can. No one except you."

"I cannot answer your questions, pitiful child. A worthless human once asked me how they can get their bending back, how they can become what they once were because that was what defined greatness. You were born with this power, but real power is earned. Do not believe the lies of the past. People lust for power, and they define themselves by this power. In the end, it is not the power that defines us, it's the road we chose to take to obtain it. If you think I will tell you how to learn to play with fire and water again than you are just sad. However, if you can show me that you will be willing to undergo my training, I will have to see proof. Proof that I am not training some sad sack longing for her bending. Someone who will be happy once they find some way to bend again. I will tell you now, you will not get that out of this. What you will get is what you will put into it. And I will put in nothing if you will as well. Now, there is a river at the bottom of the steps leading up to this estate. I will give you two buckets, you will fill them completely, then you will carry them to me. You will do this repeatedly. When I get the water I will dump it out if you have taken too long. If you show me you are willing to learn, to try to understand that which is more important than bending, then we'll talk. Until then, I don't want to see your ugly face unless you have these filled with water."

He drops two very large buckets in front of Korra. Her eyes widen, thinking how difficult this was going to be.

"Oh, and I'm not stupid. I know you can airbend, somehow. Worthless element. If you do, I will know. You think I won't? Just test me. We will see after that how well you can hold even one of these buckets."


	4. Mako

-Mako –

He thought he saw them again. The glowing red eyes. Walking just beyond his line of sight, around a corner and out of his life. He was seeing them everywhere now. The sinister red glow.

"Hey, man. You might wanna stop daydreaming and get back to work," said Mako's neighbor at the plant. Mako charged another lightning bolt.

Once the war in Republic City ended, the people returned to their jobs and the city gradually moved back into its normal state. A normal state of poor, jobless citizens and power hungry mobsters. The nice thing about the whole war was that at least Amon took away the bending of some of the more dangerous mob leaders.

Mako thought about some of these things while he worked tirelessly at the power plant shooting lightning into the generator receivers. Power is stored, people are happy. Mako wasn't very happy. Mako thought about these things because he was pissed it had to come to him being here to survive. What did he think would happen, though? Was he going to be rewarded for his actions in the war? He risked his life, well maybe just his bending, to try and stop a bloodbending madman from assuming power over these people.

No one really seemed to notice his efforts, or Korra's, or anyone's. Most of these things were quickly forgotten. Recently, Mako found that more people were just upset over the fact that these wars even started in the first place. Some people were upset that bending had been taken from a large amount of people. Others were upset that a war over bending caused so much destruction to nonbenders who weren't even being affected by the ordeal.

Mako wasn't treated with much respect upon his return. His boss told him if he messed up he would replace him. There were hundreds of benders qualified for this job. Making a little lightning wasn't hard, doing it over eight hours could really ware someone out but the pay was enough to compensate for the grueling work. Some employers were beginning to develop a distaste for those like Mako who never really learned a marketable skill and simply relied on their bending to get by. Nonbenders especially. Other benders had a different mindset. In the end, it all seemed to come down to whoever had power. Those in power, whether by bending or not, dictated morality in Republic City.

Mako missed his work with the police force when he first returned. It was a temporary consulting position he worked on with Lin Bei Fong. With the loss of so many metalbenders, the police department needed to be re-staffed, and Mako was able to spend some time with Lin, helping her to accomplish this. It was here that he met benders who found nothing to be more important than bending, and the power it brought allowed them dominance over others. Even toward Lin, who had lost her bending, they showed no respect, and dictated that a nonbender like her should not be in charge of a powerful force. Lin's efforts were shadowed by her loss of bending which was seen as a weakness, and she was kicked to the side, only being allowed to stay on because of her relationship to Toph. These were people who didn't learn from Amon's war. These were people who would abuse power. But these were also people who could metalbend, and so Lin had no choice.

Mako's time with Lin was brief, but in her exhausted and depressed state over the direction the police force was going, she told him how her life would never be complete because she missed her opportunity to be with the man she loved. She was confused and she screwed things up, and Mako's eyes were opened to his own faults. He felt he might have wasted so much time of his life mastering his bending instead of learning something more useful. He wanted to find a demand for his great firebending skills, but no one wanted him for anything other than the menial work that any firebender could do.

Mako was also burdened by a much larger problem: himself. He cringed when thinking about himself over the last year. Because of his actions he was left with nothing. Korra had rejected him. What was he thinking? Telling her he loved her? Did he really, did he just want her to feel better, was he trying to make himself feel better? He wanted someone, but in his state of constant confusion he made so many bad decisions. Damaged so many relationships.

Indecisive, some kind of exaggerated human condition where he never thought he had what he wanted so he tried to get something new. Thinking he was never satisfied, but now he is alone.

Asami. First there was Asami, the girl who never deserved the horrible things that happened to her. He helped bring those things, or at least he didn't help stop them. Whatever trust she had in anyone, Mako was sure he had helped in depleting it. Mako missed the opportunity to be with an extremely nice, talented, and beautiful girl like Asami. Instead, he just broke her even more by emotionally cheating on her. Asami, who lost her mother when she was a kid and whose father tried to kill her, also had to put up with Mako's "confusion", or at least that was his pathetic excuse for transferring his feelings for Asami over to Korra. Asami wasn't dumb, and she wasn't going to be used. Upon returning to Republic City, Asami had no reason to continue any kind of friendship with Mako, and she quickly cut herself off from him as she took her place as CEO of the disgraced Future Industries, struggling to bring it back to prominence.

Mako had also damaged his relationship with Korra and even his own brother, Bolin. His initial rude behavior toward Korra which later turned into some kind of affection, what was that? It was immature. Mako just thought he would like it with her better, but not once did he seem to think of other people. He even betrayed his brother, Bolin, by going after the girl he had feelings for. Bolin practically confessed his love for Korra to Mako. To put it all in a short time span, Mako saw was a jerk who tried to steal a girl that Bolin liked all while Mako was dating another girl that depended on him.

_I guess Korra had a good brain to turn me down_, he thought.

Mako had screwed up. He had nothing left, but he wondered if he could change things. If he could find a way to get back with his old group. He had a connection with Lin, but what would that do? He didn't want to work for the police department, but maybe he could get his brother a job there. Bolin had been up to his lame street tricks to make money. Usually failing, Bolin managed to find some friends with a place who threw frequent parties and didn't mind Bolin sleeping there.

Mako wanted to see his brother again. He thought getting that relationship repaired would be a good start. He would get his brother a job as something in the force where he could learn metalbending. He had always wanted to learn that, Mako thought. That would be good.

The bell rang and Mako went to the cafeteria to eat his lunch. Some folks from way upper management were going through the facility to see the place. One of them seemed to be pointing out a bunch of things that could be improved and criticized all the generator capacity levels and some other things. He looked like a crazy genius. The others following him just listened to this guy.

"Graft" Said a voice behind Mako. He turned to find a slender guy with long black hair in a ponytail. The man placed his lunch next to Mako's. These upper management guys must have taken up room in the cafeteria so now Mako couldn't sit completely isolated like usual.

"What was that?" Mako asked.

"The guy with the black hair over there yelling at all the business men. That is Graft. Some kind of business man / scientist thing. The police department and council are talking about him. Apparently he is doing some work in Republic City now. They think he'll bring us into a new era of technology."

Mako looked at Graft, the man looked so flustered as he gave out his recommendations. He never stopped talking.

"Yep, looks like government is assuming possession over these power plants soon, maybe that will guarantee us some kind of minimum wage or higher positions or something. Anything is better than this, but what else is there you know?" the man said. Mako looked back at him and asked for his name.

"The name is O-ren. Just got sacked from the force for drinking on the job. No one wants to hire that kind of person except a place like this, right?"

O-ren began to eat his lunch and so did Mako, who thought about the possibility of a spot that needed to be filled at the police department, and that Bolin may be the perfect fit.


	5. Tomkin's Cruelty

-Tomkin's Cruelty—

Weeks. Months. Maybe years had gone by. Korra no longer had any sense of time beyond knowing when a day ended. She tried to keep a calendar going, but after about three weeks she found she no longer had any strength left in her at the end of the day to write anything or do anything that was not sleeping.

Up at sunrise, completely dead by dusk. Korra recored 24 days. It may have been another week or two after that when Tomkin started caring less and less about the water Korra brought to him. He would pour it all out, even if she was fast enough. She asked why, and he said he didn't need it. Still, she continued, but soon he just kicked the water off her shoulders and attacked her. Of course, Korra was defenseless after going up and down those steps all day, so in seconds she was in pain on the ground.

"If I say I don't need something, then why do you keep getting it for me?" he asked.

"You never told me to stop, master. I did not know," Korra barely made out.

"There is no need to get me something if it will not be used. Take it as training or as simple common sense. Now get up and orient yourself."

Korra would begin to miss the days of carrying water to Tomkin as she moved into her next phase of training which involved physical combat. She found herself getting knocked onto her ass for eight hours a day as Tomkin tried to train her his ways.

Korra began the day practicing her form by doing intervals of different combos that Tomkin taught her. Then four times a day she had to spar with one of Tomkin's former students, Zheng, who easily wrecked Korra and continued to beat her even after she fell, then proceed to have a nice conversation over tea with Tomkin as Korra rotted in the yard, struggling to move.

Her father was right. She never experienced soreness like this. Korra found herself crawling to her room, and on the days when she demonstrated poor performance when fighting Zheng, Tomkin wouldn't even allow her to come inside. Feeling sympathetic, Korra's twin cousins would give her a blanket to sleep in when it got cold outside at night. Korra couldn't even thank them, she just lied there contemplating the terrible training regimen she had decided to undergo. She wanted to quit. She hated Tomkin. He wasn't teaching her anything, he just enjoyed watching her get punched and kicked by this guy Zheng. She had never fought Tomkin, but Zheng seemed to move in a way that was so foreign to Korra.

Zheng's movements were unpredictable, but he always was at least one step ahead of Korra. Korra felt that even the smallest movements, her eyes moving or her breathing, Zheng sensed it. He used this to his advantage. He sensed something Korra could not. She tried to figure out what it was. Zheng was not a bender at all. He had no connection to the elements, so how was he so powerful? Tomkin berated her for being unable to anticipate Zheng, and told her she was pathetic for giving up since Zheng was going so easy on her. Korra hated him, and she hated herself because she could not seem to get what Tomkin was trying to teach her. These practice exercises did nothing for her, and she was just scared everyday whenever her session with Zheng approached because she knew the outcome.

Weeks and months went by. Korra couldn't even tell if it had been a year until the one day came where her frustration seemed to burst in a release of fury. It began as a regular day. Tomkin placed himself on the porch to watch the fight between Korra and Zheng commence while he commented on how Korra never improved. Korra came to the usual point in the fight where Zheng was crushing her head underneath his boot and laughing at her.

"These fights have become a joke to me now, you know? I kind of just come out here and weave around your silly attacks, you just make it too easy for me. What have you been doing since you've been here? Are you the untrainable worthless student that Tomkin and I have been looking for?"

He laughed and spit on Korra and began to walk away. Korra only saw white rage after this demeaning act. She rolled forward and was able to barely wrap her legs around Zheng and tripped him. Korra's excitement blinded her from the sight of Zheng landing on his hands from this fall and springing himself backward. Korra received a hard kick to the face and was nearly knocked out cold. She looked up and saw stars and waves that she shouldn't be seeing. Her face pulsated in pain. Zheng laughed.

"Almost, Avatar. That was good, but you got a long way to go."

It began to rain, and Korra slept in the mud that night.

The next day Tomkin taught her a new exercise, this one involved a sword.

"Why I am learning something new? I did not even get anywhere with the last things you taught me."

Tomkin slapped her in the face. "You don't question my ways, stupid girl. Was it ever my purpose for you to master anything yet? This fighting should mean nothing to you. All fighting means nothing until you learn what the art depends on. You know bending depends on the elements, and so bending gives immediate gratification. But what do the elements depend on? That is something bending won't show you, but this will. You must have these forms down to memory. You must know it backwards and forwards. Only then will the next phase make sense, and you will learn the knowledge that this fighting style depends on."

Tomkin began her training with the blades. Her sparring sessions became less dreadful since the time she almost tripped Zheng. This gave her confidence. Maybe she wouldn't know what the fighting depended on, but perhaps this was the way to learn. She could always see Zheng. She could always hear him too, but that wasn't enough. The moves she learned, it did not matter what her senses told her. If Zheng was blindfolded and deafened, she knew he would still take her down as easily as he had before.

So Korra began doing her exercises without relying on her eyes or ears. She began anticipating Zheng's movements without watching or listening to him. She failed more horribly than when she used these senses, however she knew this was the only way to get further. In her matches, she plugged her ears shut. She blindfolded her eyes.

She continued using these handicaps in her battles. Soon, Korra began to hear things even with the plugs in. And after a while, even with the blindfold on, Korra started seeing things as well. It was at this point that Korra thought Zheng had been having too much fun with her for too long.


	6. Daya

-Daya—

In the same way that Korra missed her days of carrying water once she moved onto the physical combat phase of her training, so too did she miss this last phase when she moved on to the spiritual phase.

Korra found ways around all of Zheng's different attacks, and she was able to beat him many times now, both with and without blades. She would not celebrate. She never even smiled after conquering this great feat that had kept her beaten down for so long. Time escaped her grasp, and she just went through her days doing the exercises and finding new ways to beat Zheng.

There came a time when Tomkin declared her spiritual training to start. Korra showed no signs of relief, she was not afraid of Tomkin anymore. She was dealing with something much larger.

Almost like clockwork, Tomkin's introduction of Korra's spiritual training occurred the night after Korra was revisited by the spirits in the night. She woke to find the young, dark-skinned boy by her bed. Beyond the boy was a taller man with white hair. Both had a hood which completely veiled their faces. Korra was able to speak to them.

"Who?"

"We are the spirits of the dead. To ask who we are, you look no further than yourself."

"We serve our great mother, Daya, from the otherworld. She has brought us life. She has guided us."

"Mother wanted what was best for this world. She sought peace with eyes unclouded by hate."

"But now, like this race, she has become filled with it. Filled with agony and pain and hate. She has awoken. She can speak. She can move. She can find you, Oni."

Korra listened as these two spoke to her. Cryptic messages. They called her a name. "What…what did you call me?"

"You are the great creation, Oni, bridge between the worlds. Your form has changed, but your mission has not."

Korra did not understand, but these two boys spoke as if they were in trouble. As if something wrong was happening. Korra could not sense this back in the South Pole, but now she had no doubt that there was danger afoot.

"What is happening? Please, tell me," Korra demanded.

"Mother will find us here. She will find you, Oni. She needs you, just like you need us. Things are not good. Dark times will come to bring necessary change. Change that may finally allow peace. Please, Oni, you must be the bearer of light. Light the new way, and we will finally be able to rest."

Korra had just begun her spiritual training, and so with this new sense of the cosmic energy around her she may have been attracting delusional spirits. Oni…a familiar name. They may have not been mistaken. After all, Korra was the bridge. She was the avatar, but they never said 'avatar'.

While the previous phase of training left Korra physicaly sore, now she was experiencing unbelievable mental stress. The easy part was learning the fighting and what it depended on, now she had to understand it.

Tomkin no longer sparred with her. Rather the spiritual phase involved fewer face-to-face sessions. Korra was told to meditate and feel the cosmic energy swirling around her. The few times they met in person, Tomkin told her very little.

"This part of the training relies on you, Korra. You must understand for yourself what you have learned. You can feel the energy moving around you. There is cosmic energy everywhere, in all things. Bending depends on this cosmic energy to manipulate the elements. But the benders do not use this energy directly."

Tomkin stopped to breathe. "The cosmic energy that flows around us is difficult to understand. Difficult to grasp. It flows to and from this world to the Spirit World. Within this energy are voices, movement, life, spirits, power, and chains that bind all life on the planet as one being. We are all one no matter the nation we hail from. Your training, you have learned to feel this energy. To feel the energy from all living things and from the earth. All things rely on this energy, and being able to interact directly with it is something almost no one knows how to do, but it is more powerful…"

Tomkin bent the water out of his cup and swirled it around in the air

"…than any bending."

Korra could feel the energy being given off from Tomkin. She could feel his every movement, and she found that there were other sources of this energy all around her. It was confusing and difficult to filter, but soon she would learn to control her senses and use this knowledge to her advantage.

The knowledge came with a cost. A more accessible medium between Korra and the Spirit World, much like what Tomkin had to deal with when growing up, Korra assumed.

"It is hard having to deal with this ability. As you can see, it does not change the chi paths within you. You will not be able to bend new elements. That is fixed, I am afraid, and Amon seems to have changed this fixed structure within you. Chi flows within our body a certain way, and sometimes it allows people to interact with elements depending on the pattern it flows. A certain pattern you had which connected you to the elements was somehow returned to the spirit world. But bending is superfluous. Every action causes a reaction within these energy fields that you can feel. Because of this, one can interact with the life that is carried by this cosmic energy."

Korra was visited by another ghost again that night. A familiar one. A tall entity whose face was also veiled by a hood. However, within the darkness glowed a green eye. She told Korra to come with her, and Korra obeyed.

This ghost called herself Daya, and claimed to be Korra's mother. Daya showed Korra many things. Initially, these things were places that Korra had never seen. The first was a forest, and Daya led Korra to the edge of a cliff. On this cliff, Korra overlooked thousands of floating platforms, each with towns and houses on top of them. Below were giant birds with people on their backs, and farther down was a glowing green abyss.

"Is this the spirit world?" Korra asked. Daya shook her head, but pointed down to indicate that the abyss below was indeed the Spirit World. Korra felt she wasn't on earth anymore.

Over the next few nights, Daya took Korra to new places, each beautiful and interesting. Korra was on top of a misty mountain, below her rested a small town. The rocks within the caverns of the mountain stuck out in all directions. The clouds were swirling in a way unlike Korra had witnessed before. Korra stayed close to Daya. She felt comfortable with her. She felt so close to her. Daya would hug Korra at the end of their journey and Korra would find herself in her room again as if no time had passed.

Korra began to develop affection for Daya as the weeks passed and the visitations continued. She felt the motherly vibe, but at the same time there was something off about the spirit. The beautiful scenes she was shown became bland, and Korra just did not understand what it meant. Soon the scenes changed to a town that looked like it belonged to this world.

"Fire Nation", Daya uttered. She had a beautiful woman's voice that made Korra feel safe, but the combination of the words she said and the scene in front of her seemed sinister.

The Fire Nation capitol was in flames. Two people, a man and a woman, seemed to be the only two survivors in the burning city. They were firebending at each other. The gravity of what Korra saw became more apparent. They were trying to kill each other. The firebending was so powerful that any direct hit would have killed one of them. That was their intention. Blue and orange flames shot up to the sky. Soon, the woman yelled and charged up a lightning bolt more powerful than any Korra had seen. At this, Daya led Korra to a new place. The sky was painted orange just the same, and Korra was watching another fight to the death between a young boy and an older man whose firebending was just as powerful as the previous scene.

The boy had an arrow on his head, and Korra recognized him as Aang, the previous Avatar, fighting the Fire Lord Ozai in the Great War. Daya gave a sickening grunt and led Korra away.

Korra was not as eager to see her ghostly Mother over the next few nights. There were no more beautiful and comforting scenes. Death filled the visions. Arrays of bodies resting on spears planted in the ground. Fire, earth, and water emblems on all of them. People burning under the fists of demonic firebenders, and being crushed under earth overlords. People being sacrificed. War-torn cities being demolished. Genocide of the Air nomads.

Korra was sickened. She could not watch. She wanted to be close to Daya, but at the same time it was she that was showing Korra these gruesome scenes. Then Daya spoke.

"Korra, do you see what is in front of you?" she asked.

"It is awful. Why is this happening!?"

"I have asked myself the same question. Why? It is not normal. It is not right. This is not the world we intended to create, my dear, Oni. They lust for power. They tend to violence. They are incurable beings. They have failed."

Daya's voice reminded Korra that they were friends in all this.

"You would not turn on me, Oni, would you?" she asked Korra.

Korra was unsure what this meant, but she wanted to answer Daya. "No, never. I can solve this problem. Whatever needs to be done I will do it to save this planet."

"You must end the human race."

The darkness surrounded the two, and soon a green light nearly blinded Korra. The light shaped itself into a sickle shape surrounded by black. Korra was looking at two bright eyes. The black then morphed to form a body behind the eyes, but the body was of no human form. Some kind of monster rested behind Daya.

"End the human race? But why has it come to that?"

"Oni, you serve as the Avatar. You serve to balance the matters between the physical world and the otherworld. Our world. The world responsible for creating the human race. You were created to bridge the two worlds. To be the spiritual guide to the human race."

Daya put her arms on Korra's shoulders and the green eyes burned into Korra's mind.

"I love you, Oni. Your body has changed over the centuries, but you are still in there. I know it. The Oni who served me. The Oni who lived only to carry out my wishes because I know what is best for this race. I tried to save them. They can only be saved through us. But now, Oni, you rest quietly, trapped, within these bodies that call themselves Avatars. They have failed me. They seek to settle the conflicts of man and man alone. They do not have any care for the spirits. I ask of you, you must give yourself up to me so that I may act through you. So that I may bring the necessary end to this existence. Don't let this new body control you. Allow me to enter into the human world through CHAOS," she gestured toward the monster behind her, "and I will save them from their self-destruction. I will bring us into the new era."

Korra backed away. "But there must be another way. There must be something wrong, I can stop it. Whatever is happening I can make things right again."

"_You_ have already failed, Avatar. Too many times. The Oni I know must be released so that I may bring my retribution. You see, it is not one problem, but rather the wars and violence that this race has brought over the centuries. They show no respect for the spirits responsible for their world and all life. They do not respect anything but their own power, and will do anything to get it. They are a failed race. They must end, and there is no way to right the wrongs that have been done."

"No, you're wrong, Daya. I can make things right. I can turn it around whatever it is. I know something is happening in Republic City, I know it is agitating the spirit world. I can stop it. It doesn't have to come to this. I don't want it to."

Daya looked away. "Oni is gone. I see that you, the one they call Korra, are in control, and there is nothing I can do. But you will see, you will see that this world has left behind respect and kindness, and thrives off of power and hatred and violence. And that is incurable. You will see, and when the time comes, you will believe me. You will give in to me. I will find a way into the physical world, and I will end the entire existence."

Korra panted in her room. She tried to decide if it was real or not. What was this about? Had these spirits mistaken her for someone else? Who was Oni? Did she accidentally tap into some enormous plan that she should not have found? Whatever the case, something big was happening and it was about to come to the physical world. Korra knew something was wrong, but she did not know what. Her best guess was that someone in Republic City would knew, and so she decided to venture there to see what was happening. If she could put an end to whatever was threatening the peace, maybe she could stop it and prevent everything Daya said.


	7. Departure

-Departure—

Korra opened the door to the twins' bedroom as quietly as she could. She tiptoed to the two beds and gently woke them.

"Korra?" Ahna said sleepily, "what's going on?" Akna was rubbing her eyes.

"I'm leaving, girls. There is something I have to do in Republic City. I was hoping not to go back for a while, but it seems I must return."

"You'll be gone, then? For how long," Akna asked, in the middle of a yawn.

"I don't know."

"It won't be forever, though, right?" Ahna asked desperately.

"I hope not. I really do. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for everything. You girls really helped me persevere through your dad's training. There were times when I felt like giving up and going home, but your acts of kindness made me want to stay strong and determined to continue. I owe a lot to you, for bringing me food and comfort on those days when I was just left outside to sleep, unable to move. And for taking care of Naga, my best friend. I couldn't have done it without you. I think I'm going to have to leave her here, which means I'll definitely be back." Korra smiled, and so did they.

Korra hoped she would come back. She hoped she would someday see these two girls again, and maybe even Uncle Tomkin, too.

Tomkin was sitting at his table drinking tea as Korra was quietly leaving.

"Sneaking out are we? Was my training too much for you?"

Korra was no longer afraid of this man. She let her bag on the ground and slammed her hand on the table. "Look. I spent the last year under your grueling training and never complained or quit or whined or anything. Have I really proven nothing to you, so little to make you think that I would give up _now?_"

Tomkin sniggered. "Relax, Korra. I understand these last few weeks have been different for you. You've probably been hearing things upon learning your ability to feel the cosmic energy. You feel you have to go somewhere and do something. I wouldn't expect anything different."

"I need to go to Republic City. I think something is there. I just don't know what yet, but it is bad."

"Fine, but may I suggest you return with stealth? It would be best if only one person knew of your return. I think the Avatar's presence might make any existing problems exacerbated. I am sure you can understand that. And you shouldn't have any problem keeping yourself unseen given your training."

Korra knew she would get around just fine. She realized how easily she would be able to traverse across building tops and scale walls and things like that. Her daily intervals during her stay with Tomkin involved getting through several obstacle courses, using the energy to predict attacks and traps. She even became excited thinking of Republic City as her playground now. Her new skills would allow her to anticipate anything before it happened. The patterns in the cosmic energy around her were like constants radars.

"Here," Tomkin gave Korra a cup with hot tea in it. "Have a seat. It's going to be a long journey, and who knows when we will meet again."

Korra wanted to leave immediately, but she saw that Tomkin was trying to reach out to her. Over the last few weeks he had changed how he acted toward her. Much the opposite from the demanding and brutal master he was during the physical phase of her training. He seemed nothing more than an old relative asking his niece to keep him company. She realized then how lonely it must get up here without anyone but his daughters and perhaps the occasional visits from Zheng.

Korra sat down and drank tea. It was strange spending time like this with Tomkin. She thought about it and came to the conclusion that she really knew nothing about him. It was only a night after arriving that he became the yelling, unfriendly, closed-off, unapproachable teacher, and that lasted over a year. That became her only opinion of him.

"This tea is good, Uncle. Thank you." Tomkin smiled.

"It is funny that you say those words, in that order. I have heard those words in the air, in the cosmic energy, spoken by a young man who, just like you, was trying to find his purpose."

"Did he ever find it?"

"I believe so."

"What will you do when I am gone?"

"I will spend time with my girls, just like before. Raising them, or, at least trying to. I learned a long time ago that treating your own children the way you treat your pupils is never a good thing."

"They are really great kids, Uncle. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye and thanking them for being so nice to me while I trained with you. I'm leaving Naga with them while I go. I don't want to have any liabilities when I return. She really seems to love those two."

"Yes, they are quite lovable children. I am proud of them. They have no hatred in them at all, no sorrow, only love. And that is why I cannot leave this place. They wish to spread their love, they believe all things deserve it. It is truly the most powerful thing we have as humans. Unfortunately, there are those in the city who would use them. I honestly believe Ahna and Akna would choose love over anything else. I have failed many times in my life, but they have even been there for me. I used to believe they were something strange. Now, I've been wanting to believe that they are truly human, and all the bad people in the world are the ones who have let go of what humanity should embrace."

"Uncle, what happened to their mother? To your wife?"

Tomkin became solemn. "She passed away. Only a year or two after the girls were born. I was very much in love with her, but that is the way things are. People flow into this world and sometime later on they drift away. Some earlier than others. I thought I had come to accept that. But when she was gone, I began listening to the patterns in the cosmic energy again. I spent days concentrating. I strained myself to filter out the signal contained within. Hoping, desperately, to hear her from the otherworld. Just her voice, her movements, or her touch. But something like that is difficult. You can feel the things around you, but to connect with someone beyond the grave can be impossible. I still try to reach her, just to hear her say something again. I guess…I never really accepted _her _death, then. I know I'll never come into contact with her again, but I don't think I'll ever give up trying."

Korra was saddened by this. Tomkin's love for his wife was so strong he was trying to stretch it beyond this world. She also believed that as long as the possibility was there, he would keep trying.

Korra had finished her tea and was deciding when she should leave. She had listened to Tomkin, and truly wanted to remain with him. He was her niece after all. She wished she had had this conversation with him earlier. She wanted to know him more. But there was little time.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Tomkin. I have to leave."

"Before you go I want to give you something."

Tomkin led her to his den and took out a piece of clothing. It was a shirt similar to the shirt she had always worn, only it was darker and had a hood attached to it. On the back of the shirt was an ornate design that looked very odd to Korra. It looked like a golden tree lining the spine of the back. The hood was dark blue with white stripes. "I have found that my face is completely veiled while wearing this hood. I am unrecognizable."

The shirt fit Korra. She wanted to wear a different outfit this time to prevent recognition, and this would work. The shirt was sleeveless. Korra's new attire consisted of sleeves that stretched up to her biceps, Tomkin's shirt with the hood, and slightly tighter pants tucked into more modern boots than her usual. Tomkin also gifted to her two short blades similar to the two she had trained with. They, too were lined with a golden trace, like the one on her shirt.

"Where did these come from, Tomkin?"

"There are many things I have learned in this world, Korra. One of those things is that, sadly, there is so much I will never know. The origin of these blades, for instance, as well as that hood. I have never seen anything similar in all my travels. No one can pin a designer who has ever made anything like these. The only thing I have to go off of concerning its origin is that it may not have even been made by our own human race. The designs seem to suggest a different style unheard of to any man or unknown in all of history. It truly is interesting to think what has come before our race."

Korra placed the swords in a sheath on her waist and prepared to leave, but hugged Tomkin before doing so. "Thank you, master, for everything you have taught me."

"I am proud to see what you have become. I am no longer a master, I see you as my peer now, Korra. As my friend." Korra smiled.

"I want you to know something. People have defined you in various ways, Korra. They will look to your bending, they will see you as an Avatar. You were born into that position, and that can get in the way when you try to identify yourself, but I tell you this. You are not now nor have you ever been defined by your bending. You are not defined by the Avatar or the Avatars before you. You are defined by Korra. Only Korra will determine the greatness you can achieve."

Beyond Mt. Nyst, a train was rolling through the valleys. Korra stowed away in the empty boxcar, and prepared herself for what awaited her in Republic City.


	8. The Man in the Mask

**/*Thanks for the reviews and for reading this far. Appreciate them.**

**Here begins Book 3. The setting is now Republic City, about one year after the events of the first season. To clarify, one year has passed since my chapter on Mako, and during that year Korra spent her time training with Tomkin. Republic City has changed.**

***/**

**Book 3: Clasma **

-The Man in the Mask—

On the corner of Lombard and Fleet, headlights zigzagged in all directions as satomobiles cleared the streets for two speeding cars. A car chase ensued.

The leading satomobile made the dangerously sharp turn onto Fleet Street, and the vehicle behind it tried to follow suite. From of both cars, men would pop their heads out of the window and fire their weapons. A storm of bullets was created between these cars.

The car in front was driven by the Agni Kais. The man riding shotgun reloaded his semi-automatic and stuck it out the window to unload its contents on the car following them, driven by the Triple Threats. In the back seat of the Agni Kais' car, a man pulled his coat over his face, ducked away from the windows and the gunfire, and used his body to protect what appeared to be a large black box. The car turned in all directions down alleys and backstreets trying to lose the Triple Threats. Soon the sirens of the police sounded, but they were far away. The Agni Kais were close to their headquarters, if it came to it, they would have to call for reinforcements, stop at the penthouse, and just take this battle by foot. The Triple Threats seemed to be completely determined to stop them before reaching their stronghold. They had just as big of a reason to get the contents of the black box the Agni Kais currently possessed.

Goro, the man in the backseat, was frustrated with this. "Just lightning them, for goodness sakes. Their Earthbending is pitiful and so predictable you are dodging every attack."

"Charging my lightning and getting aim takes a little time. They may be able to get a good shot while I am exposed like that."

Goro raised his voice and snapped, "Boy you do as I tell you. This is more important than your life. Your actions are for Sabo, you hear? His life is more important than all of us."

With this, the man in the front seat began to charge his lightning. He stuck his head out of the window, took his aim, and blasted the car behind them with a devastating bolt, but at a cost: he had been shot in the head. He fell out of the car. Goro took no notice and the car continued on to the secret headquarters of the Agni Kais, no longer being followed. He smiled as he held his precious box.

In his calm and rested state, the whiplash alone nearly killed Goro- The Agni Kais had been blind-sighted by another vehicle going full speed. Perfectly T-boned.

Their car was flipped over. The Agni Kai driver was face down. Dead. Goro, bloodied, took the box and escaped through the window. He limped quickly down a dark alley, behind him the sound of the car door slamming. His attacker coming for him. Goro went into panic mode. The alley stretched on and he just wanted to get out of sight from this person after him. He held the box tightly like a football and sprinted toward the closest building. Suddenly, the dark alley was momentarily lit, and then Goro was struck by the man who had been driving the oncoming vehicle. Struck by something hot. Goro fell, and as his killer approached, he could smell the bacteria on the man's breath. The stranger was muscular and shirtless. On his face he wore goggles that masked most of his head. The man took the box from Goro, looked inside, then closed it, satisfied.

"Thank you, my good man. I will be taking this now." He disappeared just as the sirens got really loud, indicating the arrival of the police.


	9. The Inspector

**/*UPDATE: It seems I made the mistake in thinking that Zolt was part of the Agni Kais. He is actually the Triple Threats. I guess that is the one thing about the show I didn't remember when I thought I did.*/**

-The Inspector—

A camera's bright light flashed, capturing the image of Goro's dead body. DNA samples taken. License plates recorded. No contraband. No intelligence. No Survivors. No nothing. Just a big mess. Nothing interesting to anyone, except to one person.

After evidence had been taken, the metalbenders of the Republic City Police Department began clearing the crime scene of the destroyed vehicles but were halted by the familiar sound of the decade-old satomobile huffing and puffing its way to the crime scene. A weak light flashed from a detachable flashing light on the roof. The car let out a final grunt filled with exhaust as it stopped and was turned off. The rusted doors opened, and out stepped a stocky young man with a hat and a cigarette that he wasn't actually smoking but just holding lit.

"Inspector Bolin," he introduced himself. "Gentlemen, I believe I have the right to ask a few questions before things are cleaned up." Bolin huffed his cigarette then coughed excessively and loudly. He rarely smoked.

The metalbenders rolled their eyes and leaned against the Agni Kai's totaled car.

"First I will need to see the year of the victim's car mod…" before he finished speaking the metalbenders used their powers to compact the Agni Kai car into a metal block, making anything about it unrecognizable and useless. They laughed.

"Woops. Our bad. Slipped there, _Inspector. _I think you might still be able to read the model, though,_" _the metalbender said, obviously poking fun at Bolin.

Bolin pouted. "I needed to see that. Whatever." He then pulled out his magnifying glass and walked over to the single witness to ask questions. Bolin did this as a joke because he had fun, but the metalbenders always gave him a hard time for it. They gave him a hard time for everything because he worked underneath Lin.

"Look I am ordering you to stop being an unhelpful little brat and tell me what happened!" the police officer said to the female witness as Bolin approached. The girl was too nervous to answer.

"Please, Fu," Bolin said, addressing the rude police officer, "I'll take it from here."

"Like hell you will! Who do you think you are rolling up here taking control?" Fu asked.

"I have a duty to uncover the truth in these criminal acts. I am here to fulfill that duty so that I find the ones responsible and ensure the safety of innocent…"

"Don't feed me your bullshit again. I've heard it many times. Look you wanna play detective? Then be my guest. I have better things to do than try to get a brat like this to answer my questions." He stormed off. A young girl was the witness. She must have been around Bolin's age.

"Hi, I hope he didn't scare you. That guy is a jerk. He always puts people down, don't let it get to you. I'm Bolin, I'm a detective, see?" He held up the magnifying glass. The girl barely smiled, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Nice to meet you."

Bolin started to jot down her information. "Can you tell me what you saw here?"

"Two cars were speeding down the road, shooting at each other. Then it all seemed to happen at once. The second car was struck by lightning and exploded, but almost simultaneously the first car was struck by oncoming traffic. Well not just random oncoming traffic, because the person from that car, the one that hit the first one, got out and took something from the man in the car it struck. He chased him down that alley to get it. He must have shot him or something because I heard a loud 'bang'."

"I see. So you think it was on purpose that they crashed? And about this being struck by lightning you say. Are you telling me someone generated and shot the lightning from the first car, like a firebender would?"

"I think so. I've never seen anyone shoot lightning."

"Oh really? Never? My brother can do it really well. It's cool to see the first time but then it gets pretty boring to most people. I usually like seeing people do it. Now," Bolin put on his goofy inspector voice, "what were you doing out here this late at night?"

"Coming back from a date," the girl smiled, feeling comfortable now with Bolin. "A cute boy and I had tea right there on the corner. I had a really nice time with him."

"That is weird. I don't remember having tea with you earlier today," Bolin raised his eyebrow. The girl laughed, but told him she thinks she is taken now.

"Thank you for helping us. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Yeah, the reason I am so uneasy right now isn't because of that police officer. It was…well, the man I saw get out of the car that ran into the first one didn't look like a normal man. He dressed so strangely. He had some kind of gasmask covering his face, and no shirt but his body was so big and seemed to pulsate. Covered in tattoos and I could even smell him. The kind of person who probably was missing a lot of teeth and belonged on Pratt Street. That is all I can say. It was so weird."

Bolin thanked her and rushed back to the metalbenders, excited. "Did you guys hear her? She said they were trying to get something. Some kind of freak showed up and massacred this car and took whatever they had."

Fu guffawed. "Please Bolin. Stop your conspiracy theories. It's just gang wars, for crying out loud. There's no secret bullshit going on. Gangs just want their turf like usual."

"That's always how it's been, though. That wouldn't explain this large increase in warfare. You really think it just came out of nowhere?"

Fu ignored him.

"Well? What is your answer to that?" Bolin asked him.

"That you're just a shithead looking for an interesting answer to your dead-end case. I'll give you your answer: there is nothing going on. Just the same crazy gang wars that have always happened. People hate people and they will kill to stay on top. That is just the way it is. Now stop showing your pathetic little detective ass on our crime scenes unless you can finally metalbend, you twerp."

Don Sabo sat at his desk in his dimly lit office. He was told the news.

"What do you mean they never got here?"

"I'm sorry, Don Sabo. They were killed. We have to organize another deal." Don Sabo slammed his hands against his desk.

"Do you realize how many loops we had to jump through to arrange that meeting, and Goro just screws it up and gets himself killed by Triple Threats or whatever gang intercepted us? You fools don't understand. I need that stuff. To be your great leader again, I must have the Clasma."


	10. Lin's Fury

-Lin's Fury—

Her office looked like a shabby old broom closet. This was embarrassing. She used to be the chief, now the current chief barely found a use for her. She was smart, but that apparently didn't matter. Lin was simply thrown to the side and given small menial duties. Lin had other plans, though. She was going to stop this increasing crime wave.

Bolin ran in, excited. "Chief Lin. You'll never believe what happened!"

"Please, Bolin. I am not your chief. Just call me Officer Lin please. Now what is it?"

"Well, first I found the best dumpling place in town yesterday. Right off of Fort Avenue, in case you are ever really hungry and bored of the work they keep giving us that we refuse to do."

Lin was not amused.

"Well, then secondly! So there was another huge car chase that happened late last night. We were there until the morning."

Lin looked surprised. "Car chase? I didn't hear about this one," she said.

"Oh yeah, Triple Threats chasing after the Agni Kais. Gunfire and everything. Kind of like the ones that happened last week. For whatever reason, they have taken their warfare on the move. Maybe standing around too long and fighting was too risky or something? Anyway, don't feel bad. They didn't notify me either, the sirens tipped me off when they passed my place so I followed them to the crime scene. What I found out may aid us in our quest to figure out the mysterious activity of _the gangs!"_ Bolin was so excited he was changing the tone of his voice to try and sound more serious and funny. Lin just looked depressed.

"Unless it is a clear, solid answer, Bolin, I don't think it will really matter. The chief is probably going to be instantiating a rule that will disallow us from investigating this case any further. He says it is a dead-end case that doesn't have an answer. All of the crime scenes before have left us nothing. Whatever survivors are left won't tell them anything, according to them. They've never actually let _me_ speak with the suspects, but still, it leaves little evidence that something bigger is happening, even though I am sure there is. Everything had been so quiet between the mobs ever since their leaders like Zolt and Sabo lost their bending and the Red Monsoons became obsolete. And then all of a sudden they are starting all this violence at night? And I've seen members of the Red Monsoons in on it, too. That doesn't just happen for nothing, but the chief hasn't seen concrete evidence of a stimulus to this warfare, so he believes it to be nothing more than to be normal trends."

"That's not true, though! I know it isn't. There has to be some reason. Warfare like this doesn't just spring out of nowhere! The Triple Threats were following the Agni Kais to their hideout! They were ready to face a whole army of firebenders. There is not just some simple reason behind that."

"According to the chief, it is just a cycle. These things might just happen periodically like this. I'm proud of your enthusiasm, Bolin, but it might not be worth it to pursue this if nothing is coming from it."

"But no one else is going to do this. I am the only one who seems to care. In this whole police force, I am the only one who wants the safety of our citizens. Come on, Lin. You're still a Bei Fong you can't just let this chief guy tell you what to do. And I love doing this, don't let him demote me back down to a traffic guard that was miserable!" Bolin was desperate to keep this position. Lin could see it.

Li wanted to make him happy. "Well, fine. We'll see what happens. We can go a few more weeks I think. The chief rarely leaves his office to do anything anyway. He is always talking with the council and looking over martial law bills."

"What is he doing with the council?"

"The government has been trying to take control of businesses they think are being run by incompetent businessmen that are tangled up with the mobs. Graft and the council think they can run the businesses better by absorbing them, but so far nothing good has really become of it. Whatever innovations business owners have made, the government's ownership is halting it. Not too long ago, several of the power plants were able to operate _without_ the benders generating the electricity. Designers had come up with new technology that would replace human labor. But once it was taken over, advancement seemed to stop and benders were thrown back in to shoot lightning again as laborers. But, people trust the government, for whatever reason, and engineers and businessmen just seem to be accepting it all. Graft is promising new things for this city. That is what I am trying to deal with now, the council wants protection from vandals and terrorist groups who are against this movement. Can't really blame them, but all that's really been done are hate messages on Graft's propaganda. Nothing serious"

"But the government's intentions seem good, right?"

"I guess, but you can never tell when they are always behind closed doors. It's frustrating. And now the police force is sticking its hands in the mess. If I was still chief, I could see everything that was going on. But this new guy, Chief Qu, seems to be keeping everything a secret until the final product. But apparently, this new movement can bring some excellent technology for our forces, things like new weapons, even if it means sacrificing other technology. Maybe that is why private business owners aren't really reacting to this. I don't even know what they've been doing after giving up their companies. Well, hopefully the government's new project can bring down these mobsters. Speaking of them, tell me what you found out today. Perhaps we can use it to get somewhere."

"Oh right! Okay, so there was this chase and apparently the Triple Threats were following the Agni Kais to their secret hideout. According to a witness, the Agni Kais blew up the Triple Threats' car with a lightning bolt, killing all of them in the fire. But then, the Agni Kais' car was slammed into by another car coming right at them! The impact killed the driver, and the only survivor was supposedly shot and killed by a man described as being "huge, wearing a gasmask, shirtless, tattooed, and…really freaky looking", Bolin was looking through his notes. "Then he took something and left. That was it."

Lin looked bored. "That was it?"

"Yeah! Isn't that weird? What do you think he took? It could be the reason this is all happening. Who do you think he was?"

"Sounds like a fiend, just based on the appearance."

"Fiends are so lazy, though. They aren't strong at all. They can barely even walk, all the drugs they do. I see them lying around Pratt Street. Can't even get up or anything. This guy sounded so strong and actually motivated."

"Hmm, well that part doesn't sound like a fiend, but let's say they were fiends. Whatever he took from the Agni Kais would have probably been some kind of drug. But even if it was, why wouldn't any evidence of this "drug" that was so envied not show up at other crime scenes? Someone must have always run off with it before we got there, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hey, yeah, but do the Agni Kais even deal with drugs? That seems too risky for them."

"Might be some sophisticated stuff. That would surprise me, but we can't throw that idea away immediately."

"Hmm, maybe I'll head to Pratt Street and ask if they've seen anything?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Let me know how it goes. Oh also, how is the metalbending going, Bolin?"

Bolin lost his smile and looked down. "Not so good. I have been practicing what you said but it is really difficult and my wrists are starting to hurt."

"Well don't give up. Some people take longer. The fact that you feel sore isn't bad, that is actually good. That means something is happening."

"I mean it is like physical pain."

"That is odd, but probably not a big deal. Just do the exercises I told you. You'll get the hang of it soon."

Bolin headed out. Lin stood over her desk. She started to look over the documents in front of her going over the different descriptions of vandalism, the various companies that were going under government control and requested protection, and the disappearance of several company owners when she sensed someone at her door.

"You know, he might get the hang of it sooner if his teacher was, well, an actual bender," said the officer at the door.

Lin ignored his insult. "Rong, what do you want?"

"How about a little more respect when addressing me, Lin. I am above you, you know."

"Have you come for any reason in particular, or are you just harassing me?" Lin tried to keep reading her documents.

"Couldn't help overhearing your little detective's predicament. Look, I am just trying to save you some trouble. You've kind of been lacking in your work according to the chief. There is no point in taking on a student who really isn't that good at earthbending in the first place especially when you don't even have the ability to do it anymore either."

Lin tried to clear her face. "Look, Rong. I know plenty about earthbending, probably more than you will ever know, so I am perfectly capable of training him. You'd be wise to be careful about the things you say to me. You may be somewhat above me, but you best not forget who you are dealing with. Now what do you want?"

Rong laughed at this. "It just cracks me up that you still try to believe that you are this intimidating fierce woman even after you pathetically lost the only thing that made you that way. Even the chief thinks so, and as such he doesn't believe it is right that you carry your blade, so he has requested that he take it since he is the chief and all."

In her later years, Toph had used her spectacular metalbending skills to forge a sword. It resembled a cavalry sword, the metal of the hilt swirling over the handle. Lin believed her mother did it more out of her own enjoyment. She wasn't the best with a sword, but near the end of her life she passed the sword on to Lin. However, Lin never really used the sword because of her bending, but over the last year she had been practicing with it. Not only was it a weapon she had become decent using, it was a memento from her deceased mother.

Lin couldn't believe what she was hearing. She just grinned. "My mother forged this sword using her own hands and rocks, Rong. This isn't some symbol of power. This is a Bei Fong family artifact. You cannot have it." The blade was sheathed and leaning against Lin's desk.

"I don't think you have any room to negotiate here. I did damn good work while I was underneath you and I'll say I didn't feel proud or rewarded in the least because my "captain", you, was someone who couldn't even bend. It was embarrassing to say the least. I doubt that you did not feel unsafe seeing me do what you used to be able to do because you knew I was stronger. Because you were suddenly helpless. That sword belongs to those who can still fight. Without bending, do you really think you can still do anything?"

Lin swiftly swiped Rong's arm which he had planted on her desk to lean on. He fell and hit his face on her desk and Lin grabbed it to keep it there. She then twisted his arm around his back.

"Any further, and your arm will break." Rong screamed out in pain. Lin kicked the door shut. She watched him grunt and scream in pain."It looks like it hurts. You look scared. You look like you are about to die, or trying to. Are you trying to? Because that is all I can conclude based on what you have been saying to me. You must have forgotten that when someone comes in here and asks to die, I have little restraint in granting them their wish. Let me tell you, since you are who you are, I would have _no_ restraint when it comes to killing you. I could care less about losing my job if it meant I could rip off a pathetic arm like yours. Now, do you still think I am powerless without my bending?"

"No! I don't augh!" He started drooling on her desk. She threw him to the ground where he lay as the pain decreased.

"You almost soiled my work. Now test your luck if you wish. Use whatever metalbending you want. Try and take my sword. Just agree to the fact that if you can't subdue me, I will end your life."

Rong angrily left. Lin made a cup of tea and continued her work.


	11. Family First

-Family First—

Bolin was hesitant about going to Pratt Street. It wasn't the nicest or safest area. He scheduled a lunch date with his brother, Mako, instead just to delay the trip. Mako was free that day.

On his way, Bolin passed several places which had been vandalized, like Lin was talking about. Several billboards that displayed government propaganda demanding support from citizens for the takeover of the business sector were simply set on fire and burned to a crisp. Not the best way to get a message out. Some of the graffiti said "Who is Oni?" and "Oni truly saves". These were relatively new. Bolin did not know what they meant. No one he spoke to seemed to know or care about them either. If it wasn't against the Republic City council, it didn't matter.

Other propaganda slogans were painted over with giant, silly-looking frowny-faces over several important people: the chief of police, prominent councilmembers, and some really nasty ones over a man Bolin recognized to be Graft. Graft was some kind of anomaly that found his way into the Republic City council. They called him a savior who would end crime and bring us into a new era with the knowledge he brought to us. Bolin saw advertisements for the great path on which he was leading the citizens of Republic City. His new world promised no troubles, no murders, no insecurities, nothing. A utopia. Everyone would be happy. The police force had turned into a hierarchy, and the people at the top frequently met with the council to discuss whatever plans existed for this new world. These people made up this new government. Bolin had yet to see any big things happening. Crime continued to go up. Perhaps if he could find out the cause, he would have a place in this group leading everyone forward. That'd be nice.

It was noon, but Bolin had been up for a while because of the early morning trip to the crime scene. He wanted dumplings. He told Mako to meet him at his new favorite place. It was on the way.

"You were right Bolin, these are really good," Mako said as he shoveled more dumplings down his throat.

"Don't ever doubt me when it comes to food, brotha. And I got you today, bro. I still owe for the job."

"Bolin, please, that was so long ago you don't have to do me favors," Mako said. He then realized he had empty pockets. "Hmm, come to think of it, maybe that isn't a bad idea. I've been sort of running low on cash lately."

"How is the job going at the plant? Are you still working there?"

"Part-time. Enough to pay for a place to live and all. A nice attic at least. And some food. My landlord lets me use his kitchen so that is nice."

"Why is it only part-time? Are you working another job, too?"

"Well, since the plant has been rehiring all the unemployed benders they have been splitting up our hours so everyone gets a chance to work. Plus, a friend of mine and I are trying to start some kind of business thing at the same time. It is in the early stages but we have seen some good return so far, just not really in money more of recognition."

"What kind of business?"

"Social media type things."

"Ah, not really up-to-date with that stuff."

They talked while eating.

"It will pick up soon, so then I will get you back for this lunch," Mako said. He felt bad. "How is the police job going since you stopped directing traffic?"

"Well, I never really got promoted. The intersection really didn't need me. They got enough people. Lin just wanted to see if her metalbending was really gone, so she said she'd train me. I don't know why. But then things started getting bad and all around the city with all the warfare going on and all the casualties and stuff. She wants to look into the cause of all this mess so she is making me go out to all the crime scenes and gather whatever intelligence I can get to help her make some conclusion about what is causing all this madness."

"Have you found anything yet?"

"Well, I'm really not supposed to talk about it, but that is the chief's rule and screw him. The only thing we really found was that mobs are trying to transport something we think. Might be drugs 'cause fiends are interested too. That's just a hypothesis I'm on my way to ask some questions on Pratt Street. We also got this vandalism problem but Lin and I aren't really looking into that I don't think. The mob stuff is more important. The force is really against my investigation though because they think it is a waste of time. I am having a blast doing this so I hope I can find something really juicy!"

"Yeah. Hopefully someone will be able to put an end to all that. Sure as hell know the government isn't going to do anything."

"What do you mean? I thought that is all they were focused on"

"Naw, pff. They're just collecting private businesses that produce things they need so they can get it for free. Like electricity and fuel. Things they need for Graft's big plan. They don't realize they are monopolizing everything. And they think it's better that they hire benders to do work machines could do, but the pay is awful, and there is no negotiating. At least private employers we could bargain with. With the government involved we don't know who our boss is or who is in charge of anything, just random bureaucratic groups all over the place. The police are getting involved, are you getting your head into any of that business?"

"No. Nope. I try to stay away from that political stuff. Just focus on everyone's well-being like cops are supposed to. The higher-ups are all tangled in that mess.

"That's for sure. You know before all this, I was working full-time at that plant, but I saw things changing. Engineers found ways to generate and transmit power without human benders. They used machines. And sure, it put me out of work, that sucked. I felt awful about myself, but at the same time, I admired these innovations. They didn't need all this manual labor. They advanced, and it was…cool. It was inspirational. I wanted to be part of that. But then when the government took over, the machines were thrown out, and benders were rehired. But there were so many benders without jobs that were suddenly rehired then and now I can barely get a few hours in of work. I have to share them with another person. _Share my hours_. But the benders are all happy, no bender wants to learn anything more useful if they can get a job. And I guess the designers and business owners just took a lump sum from Graft and left for good. That technological advancement that I was just talking about? People believe Graft can bring it, so they give everything up to him. It isn't right. Graft can't take this stuff away from these people. He's making everyone believe he will bring them to that new era of advancement," Mako quoted, waving his hands in the air, "but he won't. Know why? Because he keeps taking control from the only people who can."

Bolin ate his dumplings. He didn't know what to make of Mako's words. He wasn't sure what it all meant. Mako believed that one man like Graft couldn't bring a future. One man can't have all that power. All this talk of Graft and the government began to bore Bolin, though. Just politics.

"So what else is new, bro? Anyone new in your life?" Bolin asked, trying to change the subject.

"If you mean a girl, well no. You know how I've been. Trying to stay away from relationships and all until I know I can handle that kind of thing. I have just been chilling with my friend from work. O-Ren. Trying to get things going with this business. A little unstable so no real time to meet girls, you know?"

"Hah, yeah. I haven't spoken to a female other than witnesses or Lin. Kind of depressing. I haven't even seen Asami. I doubt we'll ever see Korra again."

"Asami has her own problems, like us. She's at the top of the Future Industries tower trying to bring back a company that has been pounded into the ground because of the Equalists. It must be so hard for her to keep going, and to have no one."

"She is a strong person, though. Hey we should invite her to come to lunch sometime! She'd probably love that."

"I don't think so, Bolin."

"What? You just said she has no one. Let's remind her that that isn't true. I mean we still care about her even if we all went our separate ways. And what about Tenzin? Is he still on the council?"

"I don't know, but probably not. I've never seen him in any of the slogans. It's just those other councilmembers that remained after Tarlokk. And Asami doesn't want to talk to us anyway. Can you just drop it? She's got her problems; let's let her deal with them."

"Fine. I mean it's not like I was going to call her anyway. I have my work cut out for me."

l-l

"So what is happening, Don Sabo?

"An exchange is what is happening in two days at the docks on Light Street. Bring your guns, these men have been known to double-cross once or twice. Don't put it pass them."

"What are the details?"

"They are in possession of the Clasma. They also have a hostage – someone who has been exposed to the stuff and can explain how to safely use it. Make sure you are absolutely careful. I can't afford to have this fail on me."


	12. Asami

-Asami—

The day wore on. While Bolin and Mako shared their lunch, their old friend was ignoring constant calls. Ascendia calling about car antennae. Novak Industries asking about brakes. News about Cabbage Corp being overtaken by the government. Metalbenders being fired from factories because of innovative metal molding technology, then being rehired as Graft took over.

Asami ate at her desk. Behind her was a life-size platypus bear her father had stuffed. It towered over her desk and scared her every time she looked to either side of her and saw its paws out of her periphery. She had meant to take it away, get rid of it, but got caught up in business. Soon being around items that reminded her of her father didn't affect her like they used to. Asami had become desensitized to things like this.

Her assistant Kiyoko reported all the calls Asami was missing. Asami was out to lunch. Asami was in a meeting. Asami was held up, when really, she was purposely ignoring her phone. She looked out the window at Republic City and wondered if she would have to downgrade to a building that didn't have this great view. At least her mansion was paid off. She would always have that home. But would she always have food? Would she always have a car? She had been relying on her scooter because of gas efficiency. But how long could she last like this?

"Call from GP Motors, Asami. They are on line one." Asami had no plans to answer. Yeah, it had been a year since Amon's reign of terror. Since her father tried to kill her. She should be getting over this by now, but it was hard. Asami was not too bothered by her father's beliefs. To her, they were understandable. Firebenders took away the woman he loved. Took away her mother, and he had worked his way from a poor life to an extravagant one through his vision, intelligence, and innovation. He used no bending to get where he wanted, and those that did probably made him upset at such unfairness in nature.

From the beginning, Asami was sure that her father did not want to kill anyone. He and Amon wanted to suppress bending and maybe that was all. Asami knew he would always have a stigma on benders. But what bothered her was that in all of that, in Amon and Hiroshi's plight to end bending, the only person he actually tried to _kill_ was Asami. Did that make her worse as a person to him than those who killed her mother? If he went after benders only to take away their bending but was ready to kill his own daughter, what did that say about her? She had no bending for him to take. She had nothing. She was his embarrassment. His shame. The side of him that questioned his ethics. The only force that could persuade him to stop what he was doing. The side he tried to eliminate. In the end, her hatred toward him did not stem from his prejudiced ideas, but from the fact that her own father proved to her he had given up any trace of love that he ever had in order to get what he wanted. His lust for control, his relentless hatred blinded him from the one he supposedly "loved".

Asami never thought she would be sitting here alone, trying to bring back a once prominent business. Initially it was just hard for her to get her balance in this gigantic failing business. Learning the terminology, working the phones, talking to partners, arranging meetings. It was so difficult to adjust.

Once she got the hang of it, she was faced with the threat of government takeover. This man, Graft, was absorbing her competitors and propelling them to a much higher level and Asami could not keep up. Her business was barely holding on in Graft's wake. Few private companies still existed that would agree to work with her and get her resources she needed for her products, but she was currently ignoring their calls. She thought Graft just left her alive as "competition" to show that private business still exists.

"Do not worry, Asami," he had said. "I understand your connection to this place. I see it as an opportunity. Every great business needs a competitor so that they will have a drive to innovate and improve. It's the only way to move toward the future. Whoever is left standing! May the better man win."

He was just toying with her. He had all of his resources at the snap of his fingers. He was a genius. It seemed like he was taking bits of shards and turning out all kinds of motors and car frames and plane engines. The police were driving around Graft's cars and flying his airships soon instead of hers. _Ugh._

Asami accepted his challenge, but he wasn't playing fair. She knew things were getting bad for her, but she wouldn't let someone like Graft think that all this unfair play would pay off. She would sweep him from underneath. Did she really believe this? Maybe a third of her did. But that was enough to keep her going. She knew it was no longer straight competition seeing that the police and council, the new government, were working with Graft.

Maybe things would change, but Asami was scared of the future.


	13. Pratt Street

-Pratt Street—

Bolin crossed over the Pratt Bridge into what seemed like a different world. No building reached past two floors, and any that did looked as if they had been set on fire.

The sky turned gray, and the gray seemed to descend and fill the streets, sucking away all the color.

He pulled up and parked next to an old school. It might have been the safest place around here. The school was operated now by an organization that taught poor children, so maybe it would be alright to leave his car there.

Laying on benches, getting warm underneath newspapers, urinating in public, waiting in line at kitchens, fiends were everywhere. They lied in alleys and sluggishly walked up and down streets. Looking for their dealer. Waiting for more stuff. The fiends inhabited abandoned buildings where they would squat, kill for space, do their drugs and slowly die off as their bodies gave up on them. It was sad. Everyone resented this street and its branches. This would be difficult to do for Bolin. He walked through the dilapidated town. Buildings falling apart and covered in writing, some of them asking about the "Great Oni" or the "God among us".

Everyone he spoke with answered cryptically. They were living in their dream world brought on by their drugs. Bolin kept his guard. These people must have seen a wonderland painted over this wasting neighborhood. It almost felt like walking through zombies. He came to a convenience store where two fiends stood outside smoking cigarettes. They pushed away any of the seriously far-gone fiends.

"Back off man. Crazy sunova bitch. I got no money."

"Excuse me, fellas. May I speak with you for a second." The two men looked at Bolin with hatred. "I am wondering if you have heard anything about the recent mob wars that have been going on around here. Particularly the one last night. Someone from this area was involved we think."

"Wars going on every day. Ain't no break around here. We just let them happen. It's a way of life. Can't tell ya bout any battle in particular, son."

"Well", Bolin said, "maybe you can tell me about any of the drugs that have been going around?"

"Hah, tons of drugs, boy. Variations, new ones, flowing in and out every day."

"Do you know any drugs that those gangs would be interested in? Any really fancy ones that they could turn for a good profit or something? None of them have spoken to you about it?"

"Man get lost! Don't need to be answering to you!" Bolin gave up and moved on. He walked around the corner of the shop and was looking down a long street littered with delirious fiends, trash, and just the gray that fell from the sky. A women seemed to slither out of an alleyway. An older woman who looked like she had experienced the effects of some hard drugs, but hadn't gone off the deep end just yet.

"I think I know someone who can help you with what you are looking for, boy. What you speak of sounds familiar. My friend, Animal, may know what you speak of."

Animal. These fiends seemed to forget who they were. They forgot their names and their personalities and just adopted a new one when they delved into the world of drugs. The drugs created for them a new identity. It was amazing to Bolin.

He was led to a warehouse around the corner. Inside was empty except for an old desk where a young girl, not much older than Bolin, sat atop.

"Animal," said the old woman, "this man has come to ask about the Elixer!" These fiends have no morals. They could snap at him. He tried to look for an escape preemptively. The girl on the desk rolled her head forward and looked at him. She was nearly his age, but her mind was completely disrupted at this point. Maybe if she hadn't chosen this life, she would have been a beautiful, smart girl. Maybe Bolin would fall for her. Now her body was just a host. The drug simulated a life within her. Like a parasite. She had a new personality. And everything in this girl's life revolved around a fix. Bolin was beginning to get sick of this place. He felt nauseous. He turned to leave.

"You seek the great Elixer! The liquid of our destruction and our survival." Just another drug. But maybe he could get something out of this. He was already here. He reluctantly answered.

"What is this Elixer? Who wants it so badly?" Bolin asked.

"We all seek the Elixer. For some, it kills, rots the mind. For others, it saves, just like it did for him," Animal said calmly.

"For who?"

"Steel. It saved him. He could think again. He could walk again. This elixir, it became an addiction. He left us. He became a giant among us. He told us he would return to lead us out of this place. That we would find a new home in a new world. But he needed more. More elixir. We thought he was right. We were ready to march out of this place. We were ready to take over. But then Pig. Big, stupid Pig. The Elixer had the opposite effect on him. He fell further away. He had nothing left. His mind dissolved."

These people were speaking in riddles or something. Bolin didn't get it, but he took notes and tried to make sense of it all.

"They all believe in Steel, though. They believe he will help us, and they choose to ignore Pig. They tell me this. They say Pig was just a fool. I don't believe in either of them. They are not idols. They are wrong. Only Oni can save us now."

Bolin looked up. A name he had seen before. "Oni? What can you tell me about Oni?"

"Oni is our savior. She has come from the Spirit World to end all of this. She will obliterate the Elixer and the madness it will cause us all to fall into. If she fails, we all will fail." This was starting to sound strange to Bolin, like he was speaking to an Oracle. "She will stop those who wish to abuse the power the Elixer brings."

"Thank you, ma'am. You have been very helpful."

Bolin wanted to leave as soon as she started talking. When she spoke, he swore he heard another voice, a slightly higher pitch, speaking over hers, saying the same thing, only barely delayed.


	14. Oni

-Oni—  
_The Docks on Light_

_Agni Kais_

_Got it_

l-l

Kenji waited in the large shipping yard, talking over the radio. "Sabo said Light Street. It's the docks, you idiots. I pointed it out on the map. Hurry your asses over here."

Kenji waited in his dark blue suit next to his old-fashioned satomobile in the center of the giant maze created by the arrangement of cargo holding boxes. It was an enormous dock. A tall ship waited in the water that was in the process of being loaded, but it was late at night and no one would be there. Kenji leaned against the outside of a large warehouse which contained more of these cargo holds. The warehouse was dimly lit. A small path to drive on through it.

Within a few minutes several other members of the Agni Kais showed up. They drove through the warehouse to the other side where Kenji waited and parked their cars outside next to his. All of them armed with semi-automatic weapons. "If you can still bend, if anything goes wrong, use your bending first. We might need our guns later if things turn ugly. This place will be perfect. These walls of cargo will occlude our activities."

Kenji got on the phone with Sabo, reassuring him that so far everything was going according to plan. "So far," Sabo repeated back to him.

Bright headlights turned to face them from the other side of the warehouse. A van drove underneath the cranes and through the building before it got to Kenji's men. Two men in suits stepped out.

"Evening gentlemen," they greeted. "Ex-members of the Red Monsoons, at your service." Mercenaries. The driver said, "You have nothing to fear. We have no sides, no old ties exist. We work for whoever pays, and today that is you guys."

Kenji shook hands with the mercenaries. The driver smiled slyly, but Kenji concluded that that was just his normal demeanor. "Let me show you Agni Kais what we got here." The mercenary opened the back of his van. In it were a large black box and a man tied-up and gagged.

The box and the captive were taken out. Kenji and the mercenaries walked together into the warehouse toward the center. One other man carried a chair and handcuffs, while everyone else present kept an eye out for anything that would threaten the meeting. Once at the center, the Agni Kai placed the chair on the ground in the pathway. The captive was placed in it and handcuffed to the chair's arms. The mercenaries showed their guns as Kenji looked in the box and acknowledged to his fellow mobsters that this was indeed the stuff they had come here for.

The mercenary smiled. "Pure Clasma. Everything you will need. We are quality. Now that we work for money and not for family, we make sure we only deliver the best. And no scum like Graft has his filthy hands in our business. Keeping things underground seems to be the only way to get anything done."

"Hmph, yes, it seems that things will have to be done about that when the time comes. We do not concern ourselves with that now. We only look out for our family, which still exists" Kenji said, directing it at the mercenary.

The mercenary detected this passive insult, but let it go for fear that the payment would be compromised. "Yeah, well, you never know when his long hand is going to grab you by the foot," the mercenary replied. They both looked at the captive in the chair. A young man, sweating profusely, looking scared. The mercenary pointed guns at him while Kenji removed the object gagging him, as well as his blindfold. The captive was crying now. Scared.

Kenji lightly grabbed him by his chin to get his attention. "I will be quite frank with you. If you cooperate, we will cooperate. Do not give us any reason to kill you, because we have men who will not feel any regret doing so. You are trash to us, so if you want to keep living just tell us what we need to know."

"P-p-please," the man stuttered, too much fear in him to speak straight, "I don't know anything…"

"I don't think that is true. We can get something useful out of you. Over the last couple weeks several shipments of Clasma were intercepted by someone. Many of our men were injured. They were attacked by a saboteur. The Clasma was gone. What do you know about this?"

The man continued to cry and didn't answer. His breathing became more unstable.

The men loaded their guns. "Fine, no big deal, how about this: late last week, a similar event occurred. Several of our cars as well as our rival family's cars were completely totaled. Just flipped over while they were driving down a city street. They described a similar attacker. One person who was able to take down over fifteen Agni Kais and Triple Threats alone. No guns. This saboteur moved in a way no human could. He was untouched."

The captives tears kept coming, but he was no longer sobbing. His breathing slowed.

"Two nights later," Kenji continued on through the man's silence, "the parking garage at marketplace, the _abandoned one_¸ the same attacker found us there. Our men could not walk after he was done with them. Every time, the Clasma we were transporting was stolen. This saboteur always knew where to find us. But you, your filth of Pratt Street, began to give this destructive force a name: Oni."

"No, I-I…why me? Why would I know…?"

"Why do I ask you this?" Kenji was getting frustrated. "Two days ago a car chase occurred. Our men escaped the Triple Threats but were rammed by an oncoming vehicle. The one who stepped out of the vehicle was a fiend _just like you_. This saboteur is from Pratt Street, just like you. Oni, as you call him. He took our clasma and was off. But that was not all. This time, he _killed_ our men. Left them dead. If you can't tell me about this fiend, you'd better give me a manual about how one uses Clasma, then. You have to owe something for the crimes your people have been committing to my family." The Agni Kais encircled the captive in the chair as he breathed louder and louder, trying to speak.

"Okay Okay," the fiend breathed, trying to keep his level of fear to a minimum so he could speak without stuttering. "I…I know of the one…the last event…they call him Steel. He was a fiend, but…one day he became so powerful. He could walk…he led himself out of Pratt Street and wanted to…kill everybody. He wanted to…find more…"

"More Clasma?" Kenji yelled. "You fiends know how to use it. You will tell me."

"I…I'm not sure. I don't think I know what it is. He just became so different. He needed more, though. He _needed_ it. Other people I know found some, too. Some went crazy because of it, but people look to Steel as an idol. As the one who was saved by it. He is the one who hit your men's car. I'm sure of it." The fiend was hoping this was enough information to keep his life.

"You have taken this before I know you have! Your face retains effects overdosing, of a once useless life and I bet Clasma was part of that life at some point. Tell me what I need to know about it!"

"I don't know anything! I just know it's dangerous. It's dangerous and you should stay away from it."

Kenji laughed.

"Please," the fiend said, "I am trying to get things back together. Please just let me go. I have a job now. This life, it was my old life. I've moved on. I think I, I know who I am now. Whatever I knew about this stuff, my m-m-memory of it is gone. It's taken m-m-me so long to figure myself out. I-I am better."

"Because of the Clasma!" Kenji yelled.

"No! I don't remember anything about it! I'm sure I never used it."

Kenji slapped the man then turned to pace, letting his anger dissolve. He rubbed his head, trying to figure out what to do. Pratt Street was getting their filthy hands on his Clasma and overdosing. Whoever this Steel guy was, he was the one they needed to stop. Then the Clasma would be all theirs.

The man in the chair broke the silence. His voice took on a more serious tone, "Steel…he was the one responsible for the event two nights ago, but he is not the vigilante they call Oni. _She _is something else."

Kenji turned around. Interested again. "Who is Oni?"

"That," the man spoke, "is what we are trying to figure out, too." He said no more.

Kenji shook his head. "The man is worthless. He has not helped us."

"You want me to kill him?" the mercenary asked. Kenji looked down to think.

"There is nothing more he can do for us," Kenji concluded. He looked up. He was about to say something more but was stopped. The Agni Kais had formed a circle around the fiend. What Kenji saw on the opposite side of this circle was a young woman in dark blue clothes and a hood over her head, completely veiling her face.

_She's no Agni Kai._

The mercenary took no notice. "Well, that is good enough for me. Say goodnight, pal" he cocked his gun and was ready to blow the man's head off when suddenly two throwing stars cut right through his rifle, continued on and implanted themselves in Kenji's legs.

The mercenary's gun fell to the ground, and Kenji fell with them. Kenji watched from the ground as the girl he had seen unsheathed two short blades and began cutting down the Agni Kais around the circle. One by one she swiftly dodged their firebending and gunfire and cut them in their arms and legs so they could no longer shoot or stand. She sensed the muscles tensing in the men's arms as they prepared to firebend, and she knew exactly the direction the flame would take. She sensed the fingers clenched around the handle of the gun, the bullet being loaded. She knew exactly where the bullet would go an instant before the gun was shot, and that was all she needed to avoid it. She made her way around the circle. During the slaughter, an Agni Kai snatched the box with the Clasma and ran for the van.

No one was left standing. Their legs could no longer support them. They lied unconscious. The fiend opened his eyes to see his captors sprawled on the ground. Before him stood the tall, dark-skinned woman. She looked to the Agni Kai who had cowardly escaped. He had run to the van and was driving it through the warehouse right toward her and the fiend. The girl jumped to the side of the car, just out of its way at the last instant, and uppercut it with her blades. The car flipped over the fiend and landed upside down. She then quickly stole the box containing the contraband and fled the scene, as did the surviving fiend.

Kenji lied in pain and heard the sounds of sirens as he slid into unconsciousness.

"Oni."


	15. S

-"S"—

Korra sat in her lonely, dilapidated apartment and opened the box. Same as before. A strange liquid covering the inside. A vial. The substance glowing a greenish-blue color. Nothing but a single insignia: A large "S" inscribed in a strange fashion on the vial and box.

Korra didn't expect anything different. Every box she confiscated from these mob meetings in the last couple weeks were the same. She didn't have anything to do with the mess of a car chase that happened two nights ago, though. That was something else.

Clasma. That is what they call this stuff. Korra had no idea what it was, but just knew how to find it. She could easily track it. Korra was able to put her hands on the ground and just listen to the energy flowing around her. It transmitted voices. Locations. Information. She could find wherever these crimes were going on.

Korra decided to talk to Tenzin. She zipped across the city through the shadows and arrived at Air Temple Island in a short time. She chucked from stones at Tenzin's window. Pema woke angrily and went to the window, ready to yell at the delinquent who was disturbing her when Tenzin stopped her. He had a feeling Korra would be coming tonight.

"Well? Any news?" He asked.

"No. Same thing as last time. The stuff calls to me, I just don't know what it is trying to tell me. I've tried to listen. I don't know. I can't figure it out, Tenzin."

"It's alright Korra. Don't get frustrated. We haven't dealt with this substance before. It could be very dangerous."

"It is dangerous. It's just…I know this has something to do with what the spirits warned me about. I know that this Clasma is bad and is throwing things off balance. It's said to be so dangerous. Apparently the man who caused the accident and killed the Agni Kai the other night was using it. They said he used to be a motionless fiend who lost his mind until he found this Clasma. Then he was able to walk and think and just became another person."

"Who told you that?"

"I crashed an Agni Kai exchange today. They had a fiend hostage. Well, ex-fiend I guess. He knew some things about all this. Not much. Just that a guy had used this stuff and was causing trouble looking for more."

Tenzin reflected for a second. "Have the police found anything?"

"No. I keep all the evidence I find just like you said, and I remove any tracking devices too."

"Good, that is good. I don't want those people getting their hands on this. Especially that Graft. Lately I've been feeling that our leaders don't have their heads in the right places. They just care about power. And now the police are getting involved in this and supporting them completely."

"I take it things aren't good at the council?"

Tenzin sighed. "No…things are getting complicated. The city is becoming a mess and the way our government is deciding to clean it up is by taking ownership for everything. That is not how things are supposed to be! And I think this Graft fellow is putting too much on his plate than he can handle."

"Who is this guy, Graft, anyway?"

"Well, I've never actually met him. The councilmembers have become so separated. Everything is behind closed doors now I don't even know half the things we are debating anymore. Graft needs so many resources for his project. I don't know how but he was able to provide something for the chief of police that helped them do…something. Some kind of weapon or defense system. It's not in use yet, well maybe it is, but I gather they are doing some heavy testing and things are looking bright for Graft. I'm not sure which police officers are going to use this weapon of his. He tells us very little, ugh. He came from nowhere and is gaining traction too fast it is unnatural. He is taking all of the factories here and making them work for him! It's insane! Apparently his project is going to go towards reducing the crime wave, so no one feels they need to pay attention to it now. All that matters is our support in Graft. It is bullcrap. Excuse my language, Korra."

Korra smiled at this. Tenzin sensitivity to mildly vulgar language humored her. She had heard all this before. "So, then, he is just one guy, and he knows a lot and has some brilliant plan? To do what, make better policemen?"

"I think so. I couldn't tell you honestly."

Korra pouted. Graft's project was disrupting business and making things unstable, sure, but she doubted it would get the spirits worked up. "Why did you ask me about the police?" she asked.

"I don't think any one of those pigs deserves the things you have been able to gather. There is one person I would allow to see it, though. She is no pig, and I hardly consider her part of the force anymore."

"Lin?"

Tenzin nodded. "Lin can be trusted, as always. I'd recommend you don't let her see you, though."

"Tenzin, other than the appearance of the stuff I always get, I have noticed something. All the bottles have this weird "S" insignia on it." Korra drew it in the dirt for him.

"Hmm, it doesn't look familiar. I'm not sure."

"I think it's whoever created this stuff."

"You said a fiend knew a little about the substance. Have you spoken with any more of them?"

"No," Korra sighed. "I tried, but they all are out of their minds. They called it Elixer or something. There was this one girl though. She called me…something. I don't know why, but she called me Oni, and must have spread the word too. I see it tagged on certain buildings."

"You've become a hero for some, I suppose."

"Yeah, some kind of superhero I guess. People have forgotten the Avatar, huh?"

"Maybe a hero doesn't need to have superpowers, Korra. A hero might just be someone who is willing to do what is right no matter the cost. I suggest you give a sample to Lin, and leave some kind of note that would explain what you know about it. She might be resistant to cooperate so keep your distance. You aren't exactly a law-abiding citizen, and people have been talking about you around the council a little. But I doubt she will turn it into the police. She is very abrasive so she will get the answers she wants about it from people. I'll let you know what I hear around the council. Since I've tried to stay out of these affairs I haven't heard much."

"Thanks, Tenzin."

"Korra, before you go. There is something I need to speak with you about."

"Yes?"

"These nocturnal adventures you are having…"

"Tenzin, I know you're worried but please, I can handle myself."

"No, that's not it. I know you can easily handle these men, now, but I just want you to be in control. I've seen people go too far because they have so much power over their opponents and they end up killing them. There is a line between fighting for justice and killing because you can, but it can be difficult to see."

"I understand. I haven't killed anyone since I've been here, at least not intentionally. I do what I have to in order to stop these things from happening."

"Please, Korra, remember what I said, and keep me updated."

Korra scurried off.


	16. Midnight Mischief

**/*Thank you for reading! I am having fun writing this, and I am glad you all seem to be enjoying it so far.*/**

-Midnight Mischief—

Mako looked over the edge. A steep drop. Seventy-something floors in this building. Standing on the roof gave him extreme vertigo. O-Ren walked out of the door.

"There he is!" O-Ren shouted, directing the comment to Mako. "Ready to do this thing?"

"Yeah, it'll be a piece of cake. You think a lot of people see this building?"

"Of course, it's Cabbage Corp. Everyone passes this building. Cabbage man sold himself out. Money was more important? And he was making great strides in his technology, too. A sad day, indeed. Guy just fled the city. Abandonment. Anyway, building is all ready for ya."

"We could have gotten a better building I think."

"Yeah, but enough people see this one, I'm telling you. Plus the absorption of this company kinda hit me hard, man. My pops had a job here. Loved it here. Raised our family so well because of this job and then that scumbag Graft swoops in and my pops is a goner. You know what he was doing? Making a machine to mold and shape parts so earthbenders wouldn't be needed. It sounded so cool, but then Graft thought for only a second about it, and my pops was gone. Just like that. Graft shuts the project down and throws in a bunch of benders to do the job. Put his life into this place and he gets thrown out so quick? Not on my watch. If Graft thinks he can just take something as he pleases, he hasn't met O-Ren. Okay, you ready?"

"Whenever you are," Mako said. O-Ren gave him a thumbs up and Mako rappelled down the front of the Cabbage Corp skyscraper on a harness tied to the top of the building secured by O-Ren. He let out strong blows of fire at each consecutive window he passed down a single column. Once he got down far enough, O-Ren pulled him up. Mako repeated this down three columns of windows to ensure the inside would burn away. The sirens sounded shortly after they ditched the scene.

"Dang, that is the most legit thing we've done so far. That building is gonna get seriously torched inside before they can stop it. Felt so good to throw it back in Graft's face for real this time. He's not taking anything my dad made, now," O-Ren said as they strolled along the rooftops of the connected buildings once they were far away from Cabbage Corp. "Nice work, man!"

They high-fived.

"You really have a bone to pick with him, huh?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? They screwed my old man over."

"I mean since before that happened, though. You never seemed to like him, either," Mako said.

"He got his hands all dirty in the police business when I was a metalbender for Republic City on the force. Kept coming in and expecting things to change. I never came into contact with Amon so I was able to keep my bending. I always thought Lin was a great chief, and even without her bending could still be a kickass leader. But then this damn Graft strolls in and decides to change up her force. I was kept when she came back and reorganized everything. I thought it was going to be normal again but she makes this new chief, Qu, and Lin gets pushed to the side. They pretty much forced her to believe only a metalbender could run the force. I didn't even see it coming. Somehow this whole government was forming all of a sudden: the Chief of police and the councilmembers. The new chief and his henchmen started conducting secret meetings with the council and before I knew it I wasn't even fighting crime anymore. I hated the way things were going. Then, ugh, other things started going wrong, and I started drinking a lot and got demoted so far down to the point where I was just kicked out. The chief was a joke, a puppet. Graft controlled everything, they just didn't want us to see that. They do all these things behind closed doors because the decisions they are making seem so wrong but they are afraid of all these citizens disagreeing with them so they just make it seem like they are doing what is right."

They continued along. O-Ren got toward the ledge to see if he could balance himself.

"How much about Graft do you know, O-Ren?" Mako asked. He realized how little about this whole thing they really were aware of.

"I guess not much about Graft himself. Maybe he is a nice person or something. But I see what is actually happening because of him and I see the puppet strings controlling people in power that he is holding. I see how he halts progress. That's enough for me to go through any trouble to make people hate him. But no one believes what we say, we just gotta do crazy stuff like this to show we are serious. I don't know, it's hard to say anything about the man when you never see him. He is somewhere doing some kind of crazy stuff that apparently our benefactors believe is so necessary and ingenius that everything must be devoted to it even if the citizens don't care. I don't care what it is; it isn't worth what it has been costing."

"What do you think it could possibly be?" Mako asked. Mako, though, already had a general idea.

"Who the hell knows, man. If it really can save the world? Why can't they just tell us more? Why is everything so secret? What is so wrong with it that no one can know!? Ugh, and then, the world is saved, we have some tyrannical government in place. You think they will give that up so easily? Doubt it. Why, man? What do you think of them?" O-Ren asked, directing it at Mako.

"Yeah, I agree. The whole thing is just a mess and people don't want another war so they're just closing their eyes. You said it."

"Well what do you know about Graft? You seemed to dislike him from day one too. Remember that day we met back in the plant?"

Mako remembered and he knew why. "Yeah…I knew him. I knew Graft before he showed up that day. I knew the guy before he got here. I didn't really talk to him when I used to be around him. I didn't even know his name. It was a long time ago. I was a broke orphan who was willing to do work for any money. My brother depended on me then. I agreed to help this man for some cash. Filing. That is all I did. I was to never look in them, just organize. In a small office of files. Damn was I a good filer. The guy, Graft himself, the guy who found me and decided to hire me to do that job, complimented my work. I was _never_ to look in the files. They were sealed shut so I didn't. Just organized. The labels were really weird anyway, I couldn't understand them."

"Wait, you did work for Graft?! Really?"

"Hey man I needed any kind of money and he paid really well. It was just some office somewhere. Then, I came to work one day and everything was abandoned. My pay was left. Nothing else. I never saw Graft again until that day in the plant. Graft has no idea who I am anyway."

"It's just so weird, man," said a stunned O-Ren. "I don't blame you, though. You turned out all right at least."

"Yeah."

"You ever see anything weird there?" Mako had. He had a glimpse into a file once. For a brief second he saw strange drawings. Like organs with labels. One was an organ changing over time. Mako really didn't have time to analyze it, but it looked freaky. A lot of cases with tons of writing. He thought for a second that Graft might have been doing human testing, but he tried to put the idea out of his mind.

"Nothing really. Just cases," Mako said. "I never tried to find anything out. I didn't know weird stuff was happening then and I didn't want to get in trouble."

"Heard that, man. Gah, just so weird! It's exciting! Going against your old boss! So uh, orphaned as a youngin, eh? How was that?"

"It was tough, man," Mako reflected. "Had to do a lot of work to take care of ourselves before we got a deal with the gym owner for pro-bending. Lot of shady business. Nothing came easy."

"What happened to your parents?"

"Killed by a firebender."

"Damn, I'm sorry man."

"It's old news. I was eight. All I remember are the flames, the heat, my brother crying. It happened so fast my dad was killed, and then my mom trying to protect Bolin and me. Then he killed her, too. Somehow. She was an earthbender, like my brother. "

"What do you remember about the killer, dude? I used to be in the force maybe I could help you find the guy. I did that kind of work sometimes."

"It's kind of hard to explain the killer."

"Why is that?"

"Well, I don't remember ever really seeing a face. His body sort of just blended in with the ashes. All I remember are glowing red eyes. That is seriously it. It was like a nightmare but I swear that is what I saw."

"Well, then never mind. I don't know anyone like that."

"It's all right," Mako laughed. "I'm not real sensitive about all that now. What I remember about it that is really strange, though, is how easily the firebender evaded my mother's earthbending attacks. He anticipated her actions so well. Almost like he knew earthbending. But I doubt the Avatar was responsible for my parents' deaths since she would have been the same age as I was…and in the South Pole. Anyway, I've been pretty desensitized over the last year after I seriously ruined any chance I ever had at not being alone."

"Girl troubles?"

"Asami Sato."

"You dated the CEO of Future Industries? Mad props, not only is she one of the private companies left, she is a huge babe! Why'd you let that slip through?"

"Screwed it up," Mako shrugged. "Thought I liked someone else. Didn't work out. Asami had so many bad things happen to her and then I go and dump her one day for another girl."

"Ha! Man you suck."

Mako lightly punched O-Ren. "Shut up, you ass." He laughed.

"Why don't I take you to a club or something man? Lighten up the mood a little, eh? Celebrate?"

Mako thanked him, but just decided to head home for the night.


	17. A Friendly Reminder

-A Friendly Reminder—

_Oni_

Korra opened her eyes and scanned her empty room. There was no one. She knew the voice. Daya was here.

"Daya," Korra said softly. Daya walked out of the darkness.

"Time is running out," Daya said.

"No, look. I have them. I have these Clasmas. I've been stopping them. Please, just tell me what these are so I can…"

"Enough, _Korra._ Maybe if I call you by that name you'll listen. This rubbish, it is not important. It is nothing to me. You hold remains. They won't help you. Nothing will. There is only one solution, you know what that is."

"Why can't you just tell me what this stuff is?"

"I have told you. They aren't important. Remains of a failed existence. I do not concern myself with this race any longer. It is only another tool of your own destruction."

"But, if I can get rid of it…"

"Foolish child. You don't even know what you are speaking about. You try and compress your history of violence into a single object. You try to destroy this single object to make up for centuries of failure? What you hold will not help you. You know the only thing that can save your race."

"I'm going to fix it, Daya. I swear, please, I am going to stop this. I know this has something to do with it," Korra held up the Clasma.

Daya's eyes glowed green. "Time is running low."

Korra understood.

"Do not go back on your promise, Oni."

Promise. Korra had never made a promise, except that she would try and make things right. Was that really her promise? Was Daya starting to believe in Korra, or was she referring to another promise? A promise that this person Oni had made?

What a friendly reminder. A good wake up call. It was still dark out. It had been a few days. Enough rest. Korra took one of the boxes and climbed out the window. She climbed to the top of her building and looked in the general direction of Lin's apartment, strategizing which path to take.

An easy trip was laid out before her. Korra jumped across rooftops, climbed up water spouts, and scaled the tall buildings to make her way across the city. Lin's apartment was on King Street. The sun was rising. Lin was an early riser.

Korra quickly jumped down through some scaffolding areas and made her way to Lin's window which was open. Lin was awake, but Korra realized this too late. As Korra perched herself on the window sill, Lin walked into her bedroom, armor on, and spotted Korra.

"You!" Lin said, not recognizing it to be Korra. Korra fled, but Lin followed her to the roof. The chase ensued.

Korra found that Lin was very good at tracking her. She scaled the buildings with ease and never let Korra out of her sight. They sped up walls like spiders. Korra still held onto the box as she slid under air ducts and jumped down fire escapes. Lin wanted her.

When she was separated from Lin by a building, Korra showed her blade and stopped. Lin stopped and laughed, "Oh, you are making the wrong choice if you are trying to fight, my dear criminal."

"I'm not trying to fight," Korra said. The clothing over her face also distorted her voice to make it unrecognizable as well. "I have something you have been looking for."

"Yeah, you. You are what I am looking for. You've had some hand in this. In all this crime. I've seen you hopping across the rooftops over the past few weeks trying to get involved with this whole mess. We don't need any more trouble."

"You don't know what you're dealing with…"

"Oh I don't!? I always thought I was the only one! Oh my mistake, I'll let the person with the two swords and secret identity solve everything then."

"Look," Korra said. "I have something you want." Korra opened the box. The sun was starting to rise.

"What is that?" Lin asked.

"This is Clasma. It is what all these mobs are fighting over." Korra placed the box on the ground and kicked it to slide it over to Lin. "I'm giving some to you. I don't know what it does, and not many people seem to know either, but maybe if we work together we can figure out what this is and where it came from because…I think it is really dangerous."

Lin picked up the box. "Don't get any ideas about working together. You're the one they call Oni. I've seen your name, and it's going to stop once I stop you myself. Bringing you to justice would definitely be a start in solving this ordeal. Then Graft and all those boneheads would see what their city is coming to." Lin looked at the box again and decided to not to chase after Korra as she ran off.

"But thank you," Lin said under her breath. The last thing she needed now was to be seen working with a supposed criminal that Graft's government was talking about. Lin returned home.


	18. Animal

-Animal—

Bolin's hand was in pain that day. He flexed his fingers around trying to dissipate the pain but it didn't really do anything.

Bolin had a new mission. His boss's word was law. Even if Lin had become insignificant to the police department, Bolin still respected her authority more than anyone else's. He was standing in Lin's living room when she briefed him. Before he arrived, Lin was fiddling with the vial of Clasma. It told her nothing. She would turn it upside down and watch it slowly flow from one end to the other.

Oni was able to get these vials. She needed to find Oni. Oni was behind this somehow.

"I need you to switch tracks, Bolin. I need you to look into something else now, something more important," Lin had said. Bolin was confused, but knowing Lin, this had to be some extension of the mission he had been given previously. She continued. "The few people we have been able to apprehend, the gangsters involved in these illegal exchanges and violent warfare, have apparently told our metalbenders nothing useful. I am going to try and speak with them since I haven't gotten the chance to, but apparently there's not a single helpful lead to direct us to the source of this chaos. Maybe we need to try something else, okay?"

"Anything you want, chief."

Lin didn't feel right being called chief by Bolin, but at the same time she felt flattered. She knew he was doing it to make her feel important. She respected Bolin for doing this. It made her feel like her old self again. However, she decided it was not necessary to tell him about the sample she had been given. She needed to find out more, and if she controlled the situation and those who knew about what she had in her possession, everything would go a lot more smoothly. "I need you to find out some information about an assassin. She thinks she is some kind of vigilante but she is just causing problems. She goes by the alias Oni, and she has been involved in massacring several gang meetings. Bolin, I want this to coincide with your current investigation. They go hand in hand. Whatever you can bring me about either case, that would be the most helpful."

"You got it. So are you saying this is all connected in some way?" Bolin asked. He started shaking his hand again. It was acting up.

"I believe so. This assassin Oni has something to do with whatever the mobs are after. Whatever drug the fiends have been trying to get their hands on as well. She may know something."

"Did you have some kind of run-in with her?" Bolin asked.

"We crossed paths. I've heard about her. She isn't just doing this for fun. She has reasons. I want to find out those reasons."

"It'll be no problem, Chief. I know just the source to speak with." He began to leave.

"Bolin, what is wrong with your hand?" Lin asked.

"Just cramped I guess. I was practicing my metalbending again. Not really much luck, but my hand started hurting really quickly this time. So that's something right?" Bolin asked optimistically.

"That is something, but that's not good, nor is it normal," Lin sighed. "Maybe you should hold off on the metalbending just until this case is out of the way."

"Nah, not happening. I almost got it! You'll see," he said, smiled, and left.

Bolin's car gave a loud thud as it screeched to a halt on Pratt Street. The two men were out front of the corner store as usual, and they gave Bolin dirty looks as he walked by. One of them had developed nasty sores on his face. The gray sky reached down toward Bolin with its foggy hands. He briskly walked to the old warehouse and found Animal lying flat on her desk, looking straight up.

"What a pleasant surprise, the boy who sought the Elixer," she said. She turned her head toward Bolin.

"Hello, uhm, Animal, ma'am."

Animal sat up. She looked as if she could have been high. Her eyes were barely open. Bolin thought she would fall asleep. She lazily fixed her attention on him. Despite her appearance, Bolin did not see any evidence of drug abuse in the huge warehouse room. No pipes, no bongs, no drugs. Maybe this was just the way this girl was? Was she just here because of the way she acted? She was some kind of goddess above the drugs and among the fiends? That was her place. Guidance for these lost souls.

"Hmph, I've seen his face, you know. He looks mad. He is mad at everything. The whole world. I think he is going to come back soon. You want to know a secret? I think he will return."

"Who?" asked Bolin.

"He may as well be an avatar. His anger will control him. He will become a different person. I do not know his name. Not at the moment, but give me a second and I may summon the memory. Right now, I only see his face. So I cannot tell you who he is, but he is mad…"

Bolin had no time for this crazy girl's delusions. "I am looking for Oni."

"Aren't we all," Animal replied. "The mother seeks her as well. She might as well be dead."

"No I've seen her. She is in Republic City!"

"Oni has evolved. She has become a different body. Many think this new body is the bringer of death. Oni, her original form brought peace. Balance. The new Oni, they think she is changing things. Throwing us into imbalance. But I believe differently. I believe this Oni will finally end what should have ended centuries ago heh, haha." Animal began to laugh hysterically. Bolin rolled his eyes. This was beginning to sound like Avatar stuff.

"Come on, Animal. I know you know something, can't you stop your crazy bantering and just tell me so I can do something about it?"

"What is the point, human?" Animal sounded possessed now. The second voice overlaid over hers again. "You can't do anything. You can't! Anything you do will mean nothing! The world has been given its fate. If Oni cannot stop it there is nothing anyone like you can do about it. It is all up to her!"

"Then tell me how I can find her so I will make sure she knows!"

"Oh…she knows, my friend. She knows full and well." Two voices speaking at the same time, but he only heard it for a second. "Whether she will do something to stop it isn't up to you. If you want to find out the gravity of this situation, I suggest you visit an old friend of mine. What you are dealing with goes beyond this physical world. He will show you what I mean. He will answer all your questions. He resides in a room. Alone. Waiting. The room 1407. 1271. Decatur. Visit him if you want the answers, and get out of my hair, please," Animal smiled.

Bolin realized he wasn't getting anything more out of Animal. She had lost her mind. Whatever drugs she was hiding, they may have been ruining her. But Bolin thought this could have been the work of something other than drugs. Some higher power working its way into this room. It could very well be that Animal was like an antenna for spiritual activity. He wrote down the address.

"He will know about Oni?"

"The one who calls herself Oni has been pressed with the burden of this planet, but in reality, we all have Oni within us. Oni guides us. Oni is the only way we can survive. Our savior."

Bolin refused to listen to this girl's crazy babbling any longer. He returned to his car and was happy when his door remained attached as he opened it. He sat in the driver's seat and took a breath. He knew there was something at the address Animal had given him. He knew there was some truth hidden in this crazy talk.

Oni, a concept. A concept of some value. Someone in the city was just taking on the alias, trying to show others what this value was? Someone named Oni existed, and was some kind of savior. Something has caused her to flee to the shadows.

He looked at his notes. Bolin did not want to visit this address written. Not yet. He wanted to make sure he wasn't walking to his own death when he got kind of research needed to be done. Whatever waited for him in that room, he didn't know if he was ready to face it.


	19. Crossed Paths

-Crossed Paths—

**_The vandalism done to the Cabbage Building was a horrendous event. Police put out the fire as soon as possible, but unfortunately many of the building's floors were obliterated in the flames. Reports say that the cause of the incident can be attributed to the various gangs involved in the warfare across the city. Graft, with the help of the council, will not take this act without retribution. His plan to defeat the… _**pfff. The radio switched off.

O-Ren was furious.

"Did you hear the radio!? They think the mobs did it! They know damn well the mobs don't do stuff like that," O-Ren yelled. Mako bounced a ball against the back of the billboard. They were on top of a small shop. It was close to midnight.

"Is that why we came here?" Mako asked.

"Damn right. It's time we show these people a rebellious act they can't possibly pin on the triads."

The two friends were near the Central City Station in Republic City. In front of the station in a plaza was an enormous statue of the once Firelord Zuko. Zuko's hand was raised, and in his palm burned an everlasting flame supposedly.

"What's the plan?" inquired Mako.

O-Ren got serious. "Mako, this is more intense than anything we've done before. This act will let everyone know how dedicated we are. That we aren't just some petty gang or mobsters. We mean it. Graft will know, and he'll be scared. You see that?" He pointed toward Zuko. "That is Firelord Zuko. The symbol of peace. The symbol of freedom. Zuko was the heir to the Fire Nation throne after his father, Ozai. Ozai was a tyrant. He brainwashed his own people to loving him and hating the rest of the world. He led violent wars and genocides, and even tried to kill his own son. But Zuko rose above his father and took the throne and helped bring the world into a new era. Where we could be free. Where we would not be controlled by a dictator." O-Ren took a breath. "Graft has disrupted that world that Zuko created, and yet he thinks he can hide behind this statue that once represented freedom. Now Zuko is a prisoner forced to represent Graft not by choice but because he cannot move. Because Graft can choose to speak for him. Well, Graft won't be able to use Zuko if Zuko shows him that he wants out. If _we_ show Graft that no one can take what our forefathers have fought for to give us! Today, Mako, I will use my metalbending to tear down the Zuko statue, and you will put out the flame. I will endure the pain to do this. It is absolutely necessary."

Mako knew the world was changing. He knew that the symbols implanted no longer reflected the state of the city. On the way to the Square, Mako asked, "What do you mean when you say you will endure the pain, O-Ren?"

"Ah, yes. My metalbending. It might not be clear, but no mobster we know of can metalbend, so it will be obvious to Graft that it was not one of them, as it will also be to everyone else…but it will involve pain, yes. Mako, when I was training to be a police officer, you should have seen how much of myself I put into learning metalbending. It kept me out of trouble. I learned the art at such a young age. I thought I was a prodigy. I worked every day to perfect myself. I joined the metalbending force at sixteen. I wanted to be Chief after Lin. Nothing came more natural to me than metalbending, and I did it constantly, daily, until one day. I was doing nothing more strenuous than using my metal whips when my arms tensed up. The pain shot up my arm and right to my heart, then to my head. I thought every organ inside me was going to explode. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I saw black. I was out. My body froze. The pain was unbearable, so unbearable my body couldn't handle it and I passed out. Not just for hours. For days. When I returned, I could not metalbend as easily or regularly as before. If I did it just a little too much, my arms tensed up. I felt the pain, and I immediately had to stop. It was awful. I put my whole life into that and…well. You get the idea. I drank my life away because of it after that. That and Graft's appearance."

"You think the metalbending training disrupted something about you?"

"I don't know. Metalbending did something. I never felt that pain doing anything else, only when I metalbended too much at one time. I couldn't do anything for the force anymore. It was so depressing to me. I tried to use the metal whips and they just sent shockwaves of pain through me…"

"Well," Mako started, "do you really think it is a good idea to be doing this?"

"Don't worry, man. As long as I spread things out. A little at a time. If sirens sound, we can bolt, but I can get enough done in that time. At least the head. Poor Zuko doesn't need to symbolize the mess of our city any longer. It is a disgrace to him."

The two friends reached the statue and when no one was around they climbed to the top. The clock tower on the station chimed three o'clock. They reached the head and rested, leaning against Zuko's raised arm. O-Ren smoked a cigarette before going. "Surprised you don't smoke, being a firebender. You're your own lighter, hah!" Mako ignored him.

"So we doing this? Let's get going someone could walk by any second." Mako's urgency was evident.

"Relax, dude. No one can see us up here. We will at least get the head. Alright, stand back." O-Ren took a deep breath and then pressed his hands against Zuko's metal neck. His breathing began to increase as he became more tired, his fingers slowly digging into the surface of the metal. He started grunting but assured Mako he was alright. The metal crumpled as if it were paper. Each dent made a rather loud noise.

When O-Ren had done a good amount of work on the neck, he stopped and began breathing really hard. He put his head down and his hand on his chest.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" Mako asked.

"Yeah," breath, "It's, agh, it's fine," breath, "just a little pain. Not too much. The good kind of pain. Trust me, it's a bearable pain. I'll let you know when it gets worse. Why don't you put out that flame while I sit here and breathe again."

"What does it feel like?"

"It feels like metal shards are running up my veins, honestly. Hey, shh, what is that?"

On the ground, two men sauntered toward the base of the statue. One of them lit a cigarette. O-Ren and Mako couldn't make out their faces, but their colors suggested that they were Agni Kais. O-Ren and Mako lowered their voices to a whisper.

"Agni Kais. Do you think they saw us?" Mako asked.

"Doesn't look like it. Looks like they're just waiting. Some kind of meeting going on or something?"

"Let's stay low and see what happens."

The man smoked while the other man looked worried. The two spoke.

"You seem so relaxed about this, Yakuza." The man smoking now had a name: Yakuza.

"We can't look worried. The mercenaries will be able to tell," Yakuza replied.

"Couldn't we just have used a decoy box? Did we really have to do this during an actual exchange? This stuff is important to Sabo. It seems weird jeopardizing this…"

"Quiet. We aren't jeopardizing our mission. If anything, we are helping the cause. If we catch her, our future exchanges won't go to shit. Plus we have to use real Clasma. She won't show up if we don't. She knows."

"But she hasn't even been the one that has been wrecking all of our meetings. There have been other incidents that didn't even involve her."

"Those are…different. Those are to be expected I guess. Random occurrences. She is different. Sabo told me that. He told me what happened to Kenji before he was taken away. She needs to go down. Don't worry. We have men posted all around here. On several balconies of these buildings, Agni Kais are positioned with their rifles, ready to take her out when she shows. Whenever she shows up, they'll be on her in a second. She can't take them all down at once. Just act cool."

"They are watching us now?" the other man asked.

"Yeah, I got them on the radio. They'll be watching. Once she shows up you'll see. All our men will be there to take her down. The worst that can happen is the same outcome as the rest…which still isn't very good I guess," Yakuza concluded. A car sped around the corner. Yakuza dropped his cigarette and got ready.

"I'm just saying: you're Sabo's right-hand man, Yakuza. Did it have to be you here?"

"Couldn't have been anyone else," Yakuza responded. The car approached. Mako and O-Ren watched with extreme anxiety. Yakuza pulled out his radio and pressed the transmission button.

"How are things looking up there?" Yakuza spoke into the radio.

No answer.

Yakuza was pissed already. "Hey! I said, 'how are things looking?' Don't delay something like this you know how I am."

Still no answer. The car approached.

"Shit," Yakuza said. "They aren't answering." Just static blared through the radio. Yakuza looked around.

"What is it?" asked the other man. "Why aren't they answering?"

"I don't know," he looked at the car. He knew mercenaries were driving it. He knew they had Clasma. "No, something is wrong. This is bad."

On the ledges of buildings surrounding the area, the watchmen hung from ropes, unconscious, the ropes tied to their belts. Arms and legs just hanging. Yakuza didn't see this. Yakuza did not know that Korra was already one step ahead of them.

The car stopped and a mercenary got out, holding a small box. He walked toward the two. Yakuza wanted him to stop and turn around, to leave, but he had no way of telling him this without yelling it.

"You got what I want?" asked the mercenary, obviously meaning money.

_No, this can't be happening,_ thought Yakuza. These mercenaries would never trust them again. Yakuza continued as if it was just a fluke in the radio transmission, but he hurried. He quickly paid the mercenary.

"Get out of here, now! You gotta go!" Yakuza yelled to his partner and the mercenary as well. He began to run away. The shadows behind him integrated themselves into the form of Korra as she lunged from the darkness at the two men. They pulled out their guns but were cut down by the assassin. Mako saw her easily take down the two gangsters, but even he did not recognize her as Korra. She spotted Yakuza and took off after him.

"What the hell is happening?" Mako said under his breath as the chaos ensued below him. Sirens sounded, and immediately a car with a flashing light rounded the corner. Mako and O-Ren had no choice but to keep quiet and wait for the events to pass, hoping no one would notice Zuko's crumpled neck. The car that arrived gave a loud huff, and Mako knew it immediately as Bolin's car. It was a rusty piece of crap that emitted huge clouds of smoke. On top was a small detachable police flashing light. The car screeched to a stop in front of the two men crawling on the ground. Bleeding. The stocky investigator got out of the car and got into the fallen man's face.

"What happened!? She's here isn't she?"

"She took off…agh… after Yakuza," the man said in pain. Bolin knew these men couldn't move, but he couldn't just leave them here.

"Bolin!" Mako yelled. "She went toward Tyson's Channel! She is going after the Agni Kai!" Bolin looked up confused. Mako slid down Zuko's statue to reveal himself.

"Mako? What are you doing up there?"

"Look, just trust me, Bolin. I'll make sure these guys don't go anywhere while you go after her. Just go!" Bolin didn't know why his brother was there, but he trusted him and went after Korra and Yakuza. Mako got off of Zuko and looked at the man on the ground.

"Now, you're going to tell me what is going on." From the looks of it, this guy could be manipulated pretty easily. He was scared.

Bolin sprinted down the street and used his earthbending to launch himself onto the building before him. He scanned the rooftops and spotted Korra gaining on the mobster. He followed.

Korra was subtle in her airbending but she was able to use it to keep Yakuza from running very fast, allowing her reach him. Yakuza turned and shot a lightning bolt at Korra, but she expected this and easily dodged it. Korra jumped and flipped over the Agni Kai and pressed her fingers on Yakuza's neck and back, hitting his pressure points, Chi blocking him. His bending was temporarily disabled. He fell to the floor with the Clasma box.

Korra kicked the box up into her hands and grabbed Yakuza by the neck. "Where are you guys hiding? There is no point keeping it from me. I'll find out sooner or later." Yakuza just laughed.

"You think I am going to sell out my family?" he said, looking ahead. Bolin was getting close. Korra thought Yakuza wouldn't tell her anything. She didn't want to stay here long. She didn't want to deal with Bolin.

Korra sped across the rooftops. She could feel Bolin's energy draining, but he did not stop following her. He hadn't done anything like this before. She concluded her recent confrontation with Lin must have had something to do with this.

"Oni!" Bolin yelled, out of breath but trying to sound forceful. Korra was far enough away from him to stop and listen to what he had to say. He took a while to catch his breath and was surprised to see she was waiting for him when he looked up. "Oh, uhh…"

"What do you want?"

"Oni, you are under arrest for your involvement in several illegal exchanges over the last month!" Bolin had to yell to her. Korra rolled her eyes.

"Is that really why you are here?" she yelled back. She knew Lin sent him.

"Look! We have a mystery here! We are trying to find out all we can and we know you have some knowledge of what is going on! We need to know what you know!"

"You already know all I know! There is nothing else."

Bolin didn't know where to turn. "Well, then. You are still under arrest for murder." Bolin took out his handcuffs. Korra knew she had never murdered anyone. She was positive that the men she hurt had survived. She didn't do that much to them. Bolin was just trying to scare her. Korra still had energy left. Bolin had none.

Korra smirked at Bolin's attempt to arrest her, but in this moment she suddenly realized they were not alone up on this roof. Almost instantaneously, Korra sensed the presence of men encircling her and Bolin. They were coming fast, and she knew it was bad. Gasping, she turned to run, but she was a second too late. She heard the metal clank of an object hit the ground next to her and explode in a flash of blinding white light and a screeching roar.

Bolin had been looking right in that direction. His senses were completely disrupted by the flash. He saw white and the deafening screech threw off his balance. Korra had luckily retained some of her senses since she turned away a second before the explosion went off. She tried to run away as fast as she could. She could barely sense Bolin getting a hard punch to the stomach and being thrown into a dumpster by several men. Normally she would help him, but she had lost her vision. She would lose the battle. She was as sure he would survive. She hoped he would. She made her way across the buildings. Korra knew the Republic City channel was nearby. If she had to she would have to plunge into the waters. They flowed quickly and would lead her out of the city. Whatever was after her right now, there were several of them and they were quick.

Given her state, Korra couldn't run very straight or fast. She knew the general direction of the channel, but there were so many men behind her and they were fast. These weren't gangsters. These weren't police. She couldn't understand what was following her.

Korra barely made it atop the last building. At the edge of this one she could just dive off into the water. The channel was deep enough and the water was cold. A sewage system flowed out of here. She sprinted, but her damaged hearing made it hard to balance herself. She slipped and fell into one of the men chasing her. She received a brutal blow to the stomach and fell on her back.

Korra opened her eyes and tried to see the bright light still blinding her from the bomb to get a good view of her predators. They dressed in all black and moved like shadows around her. They were armed with blades and could bend, but she couldn't tell from their energy emissions what kind of benders they were. Certainly not normal people. In her weakened state, Korra knew she had to defend herself and try to get to the channel. It was her only way out now.

She was able to hold off the men, but this was incredibly difficult for her. She never had a chance to draw her swords. They tried to swipe her off her feet, but Korra flipped backwards onto her hands and swung around, kicking the men in the head. She stumbled but got back on her feet, turned toward the edge and ran, but one of the men was already there in front of her. She moved out of the way but was milliseconds too late.

Korra leaped off the building into the channel. The cold water numbed the stab wound in her stomach. She knew her body well and moved at the right moment so that the man had impaled her in a spot that would not have been critical. There were no Chi paths located around her wound, nor were there vital organs. But still, Korra was in pain. The weapon he used was not really smooth like a knife. It had jagged edges so it hurt more.

Korra did not understand what had just happened. Additionally, if she hadn't moved out of his way, she would have been stabbed in her arm. She figured these men would have wanted to subdue her, but then why would they go for her arm? Whatever the explanation was, Korra didn't know. These men were dangerous and meant to kill her. She began to lose consciousness.

The water flowed quickly when she got to a sewer tunnel and took her to the outskirts of Republic City near the mountains. Wildlife surrounded her when she came out of the dark sewage tunnel. She crawled on to the land but found she was bleeding rather excessively from the stab wound. The box with the Clasma was no longer in her possession. She vaguely remembered letting go of it right when she got stabbed and jumped into the water. Something had grappled it though, and she had a feeling those men had taken it.

She knew this place once she reached the road. She had been driven up this road before.

Asami. Her mansion was near here. Did she still live there? Korra could only hope so. She slowly walked up the road. Surely Asami would have some kind of doctor.

Korra removed her hood to breath, but fell to her knees. The sun was rising now. Maybe Asami would be heading to work and would find her. Korra was losing consciousness. But she had to say awake. She finally reached the point where she saw the Sato mansion.

She couldn't handle the dizziness any longer. She fell to the ground and passed out.


	20. Sea of Souls

-Sea of Souls—

Water. It flowed through her fingertips and around her body. She was in a shallow pool of it, but it did not make her wet. It just brushed across her skin. Korra thought it healed her, she no longer felt the pain of the stab wound. Above her was a very strange looking orange sky. No trees. No dirt. She wasn't in Republic City. She wasn't on Earth.

Around her the shallow pool of water continued until it faded into the clouds touching the ground. The trickling of the water echoed all around her. Beyond the clouds looked like a different environment. She was able to easily get up and make it to this portion. What she saw below her was a view of a vast forest that seemed to go out in all directions. They sparkled like crystals. The glitter seemed to make noise too. Sifting through the forests, transparent entities shaped like giant animals looked around. Giant bears, dragons, spiders…

Korra was in the Spirit World. She stood on what seemed to be a platform of entirely mist. The air she breathed felt extremely cold and extended in all directions within her. The trees and plants glittered in all directions as the forest stretched, but on the horizon it seemed to stop. Dark clouds hung over this area, lightning striking the ground.

"You wish to see what lies beyond, don't you." A little boy with a hood over his head stood next to Korra and asked her this. The same hooded boy that had visited Korra before. His tone was more sinister this time as opposed to the friendlier one he had before.

They both suddenly just starting gliding across the sparkling, blue forest and the dark clouds came nearer and nearer. Thunder sounded. What unveiled itself before her was an array of square, metal blocks like towers growing out of the ground. The floor of this areas was a shiny metal and appeared to be eating away the forestry adjacent to it, and the metal blocks rose out of the ground and toward the sky, the tops red hot as the lightning struck them. This place felt evil and Korra knew it. It was slowly overtaking the life around it like a parasite.

"What is this place?" Korra looked to the boy, but he was gone. Behind her, Korra felt the presence of someone else. This person put a hand on Korra's shoulders, and it was immediately clear who it was.

"This is instability," Daya said. Her breath was the freezing cold air that Korra was breathing in before. She wondered what kind of position Daya had in the Spirit World. What was her form? Whenever Korra saw her, Daya seemed to hide her face behind darkness. Darkness and green eyes.

"Oni," Daya spoke again, her voice cutting through the cold air. "You have to remember. There is a connection between this world and the physical world. The events that unfold in the physical world project themselves onto this world. It is a proportional relationship. The evil present on the physical planet, that projects itself as a darkness which slowly overcomes this world. We become unstable. Dangerous spirits reveal themselves, and they wish to enter your world. I control them. I hold them back. They answer to me. The world has been failing, and these spirits have been growing stronger. They wish to enter your world. I,too, have been losing my faith in humanity, and it will be my wish to release them. It will be my wish to bring my horde to Earth."

Korra saw the corruption of the physical world in the form of these parasitic metal structures. A concrete form of evil drawing a deadly storm ravaging the Spirit World.

"This is here because of Clasma. This is here because of a few evil men who are sending this substance through the streets," Korra pleaded.

Korra could tell Daya was upset. She could no longer see Daya as a shape of a human. Daya surrounded her from all sides. She was a bodiless entity now. She breathed down Korra's neck and lit Korra's hands with her green eyes. She was angry. She wanted nothing more than for Korra to die right now. The darkness of Daya surrounded her and soon formed itself into something else. A room. A light. The comfort of a bed. The cold air gone.

Korra had returned to the physical world. Awake. She immediately felt the sting of her wound.


	21. The Echoing Ring

**/*Thanks again for the reviews. The story is a little lengthy so thanks for sticking with it. I have constructed it so that all the plots will come together. :)*/**

-The Echoing Ring—

Bolin heard the constant ringing bouncing around within his ear. The high pitch explosion left his eardrums slowly decaying. He lay in an alley. His back against a dumpster. The sun peered over the building and blinded him. His eyes were still damaged from the grenade as well. Super sensitive. He lay at the base of the building where he was attacked.

Bolin struggled to get his balance and made his way back to the street. The station was nearby. That was where his car was. He suddenly remembered what had happened only hours ago. Oni had escaped him, but he was unsure if those men had done something to her. He actually hoped he would hear about her breaking up an exchange later that night. To know she was still alive. Whoever those men were, they were stealthy. Bolin now had so much on his plate he didn't think he could handle researching who these most recent attackers were.

Last night had been his first confrontation with Oni since the task had been given to him. It turned ugly real fast. Bolin didn't really have any desire to continue this mission just yet. He would put it on hold for now and take care of other things. Catching Oni proved to be extremely intense. He would need a better mindset going into it. Bolin decided once he found his car that he would return to the police station and try to get some background data on the man who lived at 1271 Decatur Street, the address Animal had given him.

Things were happening simultaneously now. Korra, on the outskirts of the city, had awoken in a nicely furnished room. She barely felt the sting of her wound. Someone had treated her. She was slightly cleaned up, but what scared was that her hood was on the chair next to her. Whoever had treated now knew that the girl Republic City called Oni was the Avatar. The door opened. Korra tried to quickly cover her face with her hood, but stopped when she saw who had entered.

"Asami?" Korra remembered being close to Asami's house, wishing she would find her crawling up the road.

"Are you alright? You were pretty beaten up when I found you on my way to work this morning."

"Did, did anyone see me?" Korra asked. If it was just Asami, Korra knew she would be okay.

"No. I'm sorry, but unfortunately we don't have a family doctor anymore. I had some first aid kits so I just treated you myself. I didn't really do a whole lot, just cleaned up your cuts and gave you some pain medication. I'm sorry for removing your hood but your face was bruised so I just gave you that ice pack next to your bed. I hope it worked."

Korra did feel a lot better. Asami seemed very apologetic for what she did. Korra rose and hugged her old friend she hadn't seen in a year.

"Thank you so much, Asami. I can't say how much this means to me. You saved my life."

Asami was touched that Korra was so thankful. The two were happy to see each other. Asami led Korra to the kitchen to give her something to eat, and Korra did eat. She stuffed her face and Asami began to get worried.

"Hey, Korra," Asami laughed, "don't eat all my food. I may have this house but I don't have all the money in the world anymore."

Korra slowed down. "I'm sorry, I'm just so hungry, ugh. I'll stop, hah. What is the deal with your company? Why does it seem like you don't have much."

"Because I don't. I don't know if you have heard the news while you've been, well, in the city. Future Industries is going down fast. We are almost bankrupt now," Asami sounded depressed now. "Things are just hard, first since my dad turned out to be a crazy terrorist-funding maniac, then Graft shows his ugly face."

Graft's name stops Korra. "Graft?"

"Yeah, he squirms his way into the city and starts manipulating the government to take over all the private companies in Republic City and the surrounding area. I don't know what he told those guys, but they would get down on their knees and bow to him. What is bad is that those private companies he is taking over are my resources. I relied on those people. What could have possibly told them to just make them give in to him? What dirt did he have on them? Who knows? All I know is he wanted to keep me because he needed 'competition'. As if this were a fair economy anymore…" Asami paused, "Sorry, I'm rambling again. It's just easy to rant about this stuff. It's my life going down the drain in front of me and I don't know what to do. He controls almost everything."

Korra was listening. "It's okay. I understand this must be a lot for you to handle. I can't imagine doing it myself. Things are getting hard in Republic City. I've been trying to figure out just what is going on. I haven't really looked into what Graft is doing. I just…don't know anymore."

"When did you return, Korra? Why are you back here?" asked Asami.

Korra sighed. "I left the South Pole and spent a year training with my uncle. Training to learn how to fight without my bending. After that I hopped on a train and ended up back here. That hood of mine was pretty good at veiling my face so I got a room in the city without anyone recognizing me. That was a little over a month ago I guess."

"So you're the one who has been over the news? Well not you, but your work? Ruining all of those mobster meetings?"

"Well, yeah. They call me 'Oni'. You might have seen that tagged across the city."

Asami was a little surprised by this. Her old friend had secretly been hiding in the city and had become an idol to some. "I have. I…don't really know what to say, Korra. Why are you doing all this?"

"Some disturbing things have been happening here in Republic City. I've been told about these things. You can probably imagine Spirits like to communicate with the Avatar a lot. Ever since I lost my bending I've been getting really weird messages from them. Confusing ones. All I knew was that the Spirit World was becoming unstable and whatever is happening in Republic City was causing it."

"So how did you get started on this fighting crime thing?"

"When I got here, I needed to find one person who I knew I could trust. It wasn't that I didn't trust anyone else. I only wanted one person to know so that the situation was more under control. I told Tenzin. I felt an elder could be trusted. Tenzin said he wouldn't tell anyone. I stood on the docks to Air Temple Island.

_'Not that I am unhappy to see you, but I need to ask why you have suddenly returned. I just ask because as the avatar, strange events seem to surround you,' Tenzin had asked._

_'I've been visited by Spirits, Tenzin. One in particular. She showed me some pretty terrible things. And I knew it had something to do with what is going on here. The Spirits are worked up and they are going to take action soon unless I can change something. If I can right the wrongs in this city, maybe they will be calmed. Can you tell me what has been happening?'_

"He told me a little about Graft, but mostly he mentioned how crime in the city had been on the rise, and quickly. People were scared. Graft promised safety, but he wasn't delivering. I dove in to see what I could do about it. To see what I could find. I started with the mobster warfare.

"What did you find?" asked Asami.

"I'm not sure…yet. I'm still trying to figure it out. As I've learned more about the situation here in the city, things got more complicated. Things are connected it seems in a way I am not entirely sure about. I need to find out what it is. All this gang activity, this crime wave, and not to mention the ones who took me down last night. Men I had never seen before. They were so fast and I didn't know where they even came from. In order to prevent some uprising from the Spirit World I need to stop it!" Korra couldn't believe she was telling this to Asami, but she felt safe with her. She felt a warmth from her that she hadn't felt in such a long time.

It was a different feeling than before. Korra used to think of Asami as a friend. With Mako always in the mix, Asami just seemed like another person around. Something was different now. Korra felt she could open up and trust her. She wanted to hug her again. She felt she depended on her since she saved her life. Since she was the first peer Korra had talked to, a person other than Tenzin or her uncle, in over a year. She missed Asami. She missed talking with someone her age, someone who knew the value of honesty and loyalty in a friendship. Someone who was experiencing difficulties in life as well, and was at the same level of maturity. Korra did not have to be a different person around Asami, and she could tell her anything. Her attention meant a lot more than anyone else's.

Korra had found…a friend, perhaps?

"I don't even know what I am looking for now. I just need answers. I need to find…the one who is calling the shots. I need to find Don Sabo of the Agni Kais."

"Sabo? Why him?"

"Whatever these gangs are trying to do, he knows. None of his minions will tell me or anyone what is up, but he will. I've foiled his plans enough times that he has to be discouraged. I know what he is feeling. He has given up…"

"How do you know," Asami was confused. "Why him, again?"

"I can feel things. I can find people. I can feel the cosmic energy that flows around us. It sounds like Avatar stuff so much, I know. I just need to focus and I can find him. He will tell me what he is trying to do and perhaps that will clear things up. Asami, I'm really sorry I have to just leave like this."

"It's fine, Korra. You sound like you're under more pressure than I am. Everything is so messed up here. The crime wave isn't helping either. All these gangs destroy their cars and demand more but I have no resources. But Graft does. Graft has choked me, so perhaps finding out why these gangs are going crazy will help me too," Asami smiled. "Do you know where to find Sabo?"

"Nah, but I think I will be able to. I can use the energy to pinpoint him, but given this entire city that is constantly giving off energy that will take a lot of concentration."

"I think I can just tell you, Korra. A few weeks ago something strange happened within my company. It was brought to my attention that some of my lead designers were secretly doing business with the Agni Kais. Having them gather resources to make certain kinds of parts. Sabo's men could get resources easily through extortion. Of course, I ended their partnership as soon as possible and had these men fired. I would not be working with the family that was responsible for the death of my mother. Graft decided to make an example of me by saying that my men were dealing with gangsters. That this is what private ownership has come to.

"The strangest part about all this is that I never remembered seeing these men. There were a lot of people working for me, but looking through my records neither my father nor I had hired these guys. I don't know if I was missing some files or what but these guys were the only ones who didn't have much of a history beyond a month or so. No hiring date. No payroll. I did not know where they came from. I couldn't explain it. But what I did know after all this was where Sabo operated. It is a penthouse off of Fleet Street." Asami gave Korra the address. They walked to the front door.

"Thank you so much Asami. You've really done a lot for me today. I'll always remember that I can trust you."

"Yeah, if you ever need anything Korra, uh, don't be afraid to come to me," Asami smiled. Korra wanted to stay. She didn't understand what she was thinking but Asami's presence made her feel warm. Safe. It made her smile. She would come back.

"If you are ever in any trouble, I owe you my life," Korra said.

Asami gave a light laugh. "Just being a friend would be enough, Korra. Thank you." Asami thought it was a friend in Korra she wanted. Asami didn't remember what a friend was like. It had been so long. She felt the same way as Korra. To her, this was processed as friendship, and she felt happy with this. Korra didn't tell Asami, but she would owe Asami her own life.

If anything ever happened to Asami, Korra vowed to herself that she would save her. No matter what.


	22. Clasma

-Clasma—

O-Ren was pleading with Mako, who was deciding whether or not Bolin should be notified about the things that Mako had learned. Bolin's allegiance to the police force, something so close to Graft, had made his reliability questionable to Mako.

"Come on, what did you learn?"

"Look I said I'd tell you, just give me a minute to think about something," Mako said, looking at the phone in O-Ren's apartment.

"Guh, why leave me waiting?" O-Ren yelled. Mako decided that he would tell Bolin later, or hope he figured it out on his own. Mako wanted to be sure of this before he ran telling the police. After all, it seemed strange to him that the police hadn't figured this out already for themselves.

"Fine. So according to what my cop brother told me a little while ago, this huge increase in triad warfare is all over some drug. They have been trying to smuggle something and all the mobsters want it. I think it is dangerous."

"So what is it?"

"The man I talked to called it Clasma. O-Ren, you aren't going to believe what it can do."

Mako explained it to O-Ren, and that day changed the course of everyone's life. The mystery of the Clasma proved to be much more complex than anyone had imagined. Several similar events occurred at once, and so to make things clear, Korra's story will be italicized as it is layered over Lin's.

Bolin finally managed to return to the police station that day, the ringing still present in his ears. His pace was slower because of it. He tried to get himself back in the right mindset to do police work. It was only a few hours ago he was chasing Oni and was ambushed. As he walked through the hallways and heard the echoes of Lin's frustrated yells, he knew he had to snap out of his weakened state quickly.

"I specifically requested an interrogation with him. What do you mean it is 'all taken care of'?" Lin was yelling at a young officer who was simply delivering her the message.

"That was all I was told, ma'am. If you want you can talk to the Chief about it, or Rong or Fu, but there is nothing more I can do," the scared boy said, then quickly fled in fear of Lin's wrath. Bolin walked in, hoping he wouldn't get yelled at for being late.

"And where have _you_ been? Have a nice sleep, did we?" Lin asked.

"Not exactly. I was ambushed last night. I woke up in a trash can this morning." Lin just stared at him. She didn't really know what to say, and her time was limited.

"You what? Who ambushed you? Was it Oni?"

"No, I was following her. She busted another exchange. There was a box that she was stealing. Anyway I chased her for a little while and tried to get her to stop but then we were both ambushed by a group. I couldn't see anything. They threw this flashy bomb that blinded me. I was completely rendered useless, couldn't even move. They beat me up a little then I guess I just fell of the building."

Lin had never heard this. She knew it must have had something to do with the stuff that Korra, Oni, had given to her. These guys wanted it too. But the gangs had never had flash grenades.

"These were mobsters that attacked you? What kind of benders were they? Has this happened before?" Lin asked.

"I have never come across these guys before. I doubt they were mobsters and I have no idea what benders they were. All I know is they were extremely fast and didn't seem to want anything from me. I never saw or heard them coming." This was a huge surprise but right now was just another thing Lin would have to deal with. Bolin asked, "What are you doing right now, Chief?"

Lin sighed. "Well I was trying to get a chance to ask the Agni Kai our forces just brought in from last night some questions. I assume that is where you saw Oni, at the central station?"

"Yeah. It didn't seem right, though, the exchange. It was just out in the square so openly. Granted it was late, but still…"

"Yeah, well I think the whole thing was some kind of a setup to get Oni but she outsmarted them. We have Yakuza now. I need to ask him about whatever it is they are transporting. That's definitely the cause of all this, but now I just heard about these guys that attacked you…" Lin got frustrated again with everything that was going on.

"Don't worry about that right now. I need to make a call about something. One of the fiends gave me some information about someone that could help us, but I'll just make sure the address isn't some torture house, ya know?"

"The fiends told you something useful? Do you think it could help? They're involved in this too. Any of those men we can detain for interrogation would be helpful as well. I've tried to speak with all the people we've detained in the past. At first I just wasn't told and before I knew it the captives were sent off to prison somewhere. Now they just give me a hard time getting in there to ask questions, and when they are done they tell me nothing new was learned. Just standard warfare as usual. Pff, they aren't asking the right questions. They want it to seem like nothing is wrong. Hurry up, Bolin. Make your damn call so we can figure this thing out. I'm not going to miss my chance to have a word with Yakuza," Lin said.

"Okay. I think that if this is a real place, whoever this guy is can tell me something. I'll have to write it down because they can be pretty cryptic in their language," Bolin was excited. New things were happening. Hope for an answer and progress on this complex case. He honestly believed that the two would figure this thing out on that day, and he was happy. He picked up the phone and dialed the number for the address Animal had given him. "Hello, my name is Bolin from the Republic City Police Department. I need some information about a resident who lives in 1407."

"That would be fourth floor," said the man on the other end.

"Oh okay, then. What can you tell me about the man that lives there currently? Any information on how long he has been there would be helpful." The man on the phone pulled out some records.

"Let's see. Came here a few weeks ago it looks like. Rents out the place right now. Paid me up front which was a little sketchy I guess. Don't see him much. Not the most pleasant looking fellow, but I get a lot of those kind in a dilapidated apartment like this."

"What did he look like? Is there any reason to believe he is dangerous? Any strange activity?" Bolin asked.

"Guy was big. Tattoos. Raspy voice like he smoked a lot. His face was pretty hidden. I would call that suspicious. Had a wad of cash to give me. Sits in his room all day. Keeps it clean, no one has been complaining about him. That is all I can say."

"Can I get a name?"

The man on the other end coughed and started to sound nervous. "Well, we just kinda placed him under a random name. I never got his info. H-he didn't really give me a name, just scribbled it down on a contract he slipped to me a few days later. Things happen pretty quick in places like this. People are in and out and I do what I can do save time when I'm…"

"Okay, okay," Bolin said, stopping the man. Bolin had an idea of what was going on. The man matched the description of Steel, the one involved in the car accident a week or so ago. And Animal had given him the name so the possibility was definitely plausible. Bolin would have to prepare himself for going against Steel if had to be the worst case scenario. He hung up the phone. Lin, who had been trying to make calls on the other line looked at him. "It's just an apartment. Sounded weird though. I think the guy at this address was the one who smashed his car in those Agni Kais' car and took their supplies. I think if we can get him that would be huge."

"You really think that it is Steel living there? That would be a huge step, alright. He probably knows what this new drug does. Hmm," Lin thought about what to do. "I don't want to leave here. I really think I will get the chance to talk to Yakuza today. That could be a big step for our investigation as well. I know what questions to ask him. If I can just get the chance, I could wrap this all up." Lin paced and Bolin waited. Bolin had an idea of what Lin would say. He was a little afraid of confronting Steel. The man was crazy, and crazy people are unpredictable. "Bolin, this was your lead. Can you go talk to this man by yourself? What I need to do here is just as important."

"By myself? This guy could be crazy, he isn't going to listen to me."

"Look Bolin: the hardest part of being a cop is doing what scares us. Our current police force seems to have forgotten this. It's the hardest part, but it is also the difference between an average cop and a great one. I need you to go, think about what we are trying to do, here."

Bolin knew Lin was right. The pride of being a great cop didn't appeal to him, but a great cop enables a safe society, and that was ultimately his goal when he joined the force. He knew he had to do this. "Okay, I'm going to head over now, then. I wish I could have figured out a little more about him, though."

"There isn't much time, Bolin. You are a great earthbender, I know you'll be fine. Call me if anything happens, though. Right now I have to go. I have a little date with Yakuza."

Bolin wished her luck and headed to his dingy car. The apartment was across the city. He would be a while before he got there.

Lin pushed several scrawny officers out of her way as she walked down the hall. A door opened and officer Fu walked out. Lin was in his face.

"I need to get in there and talk to Yakuza. I sent several messages," Lin said.

"I know," Fu said. "We ignored them all. Interrogation is over, guy didn't have anything to tell us that was new. We figured…it was a waste of your time to have you come here."

"Oh, I think I'll be the judge of that, thank you oh so much for your concern, though." Lin proceeded to enter but Fu held the door shut with his foot.

"I wouldn't, Lin. Chief Qu is in there. I don't think he would like you meddling in this. You aren't authorized to question suspects yet. That'll take a little time."

Lin could barely control her temper. "Look, Fu. I was doing this when you were still in diapers sucking on your mother's tits. And I couldn't give less of a shit what Qu thinks of me." Lin put her foot down and turned Fu to the side so that he tripped over it. She barged in.

The interrogation room: a dark outer corridor that surrounded the bright room in which Yakuza sat. Bulletproof windows lined the inner room. Yakuza sat at a table. Lin saw Yakuza in his handcuffs, no one speaking with him. Her entrance interrupted a conversation between Chief Qu and a man she didn't recognize in the darkness. Qu looked at her, obviously pissed underneath his calm demeanor. Lin was about to walk in the room with Yakuza.

"Interrogation is over, Lin," Qu said. "We have everything we need." The man behind Qu was veiled by the darkness. He was jotting something down on a notepad. "Would you be so kind as to leave us alone? We have already prepared Yakuza's transportation to his prison."

"I highly doubt this man is unable to give us anything. I'll only be a minute." Lin opened the door.

"Lin, please," said Qu, calmly. Lin ignored him and stomped toward Yakuza. He was frightened by the sight of her. She slammed her hands on the metal table and stared him down. He squirmed in his seat.

"Nice tricks, Yak. What's the matter? Things not going according to plan? Didn't think you'd have to hide your secrets from someone like me, huh? You think you have all these boneheads fooled but I'm of a different breed. Now, you're going to tell me what it is. What is the Clasma."

Yakuza didn't say anything. He just looked confused.

"Come on, Yak. Out with it." She grabbed his shirt. "I'm not playing games, here. I don't know what these guys told you to do, but I'm not going to just buy your ignorance to everything that is going on because it is such a lie that you would know nothing." The truth was in his eyes. She could see it. The word Clasma struck him. She couldn't access his knowledge, though. He wasn't talking. She was stepping over the line by grabbing him. She felt trapped now. He would not say anything.

"I don't have to tell you anything. I don't even know anything. I thought I already went through this good cop bad cop routine with them before." Lin was furious. But there was no way to get the truth out of this man. The door opened. Qu and Rong walked it. Lin turned around and let go of Yakuza. The man Qu had been talking to watched through the window then turned to leave. Lin realized at the last second that it had been Graft. Qu and Rong looked at her. She was humiliated.

"Well, I think we've proved this to you, now that you've formally embarrassed yourself, Lin. Your interrogating skills are astonishing, but as you can see, this man knows nothing because there is nothing going on."

Rong had the chance to insult her now that he had the protection of Qu. "Such an immature way to handle police work. It is like you have no control over yourself and are nothing but incompetent."

"Rong, please," Qu said. "I'm sure Lin is fully aware of her constant regression in our ranks. It is entirely due to her lack of useful police work and constant mistakes like this. Lin, I think it'd be best for you to take the rest of the day off and get yourself together."

Lin hated Qu. She hated Rong. She knew Yakuza was hiding information. For whatever reason, the police force believed him. Something kept him from telling her anything. Lin would have to take this business outside of the department. As long as Qu was around, Lin had no power. She needed to get Yakuza all alone and to herself. She followed Qu's order and exited the interrogation room.

_Sabo sat at his desk, his head in his hands. Misery. Defeat. Hopelessness. All these overcame him. It was the afternoon and the cloudy weather depressed him more. The grayness of the day made him feel like he was on Pratt Street, like a fiend, a lost forgotten soul. _

_Nothing would be the same again. He was never going to get the Clasma. The Agni Kai wasn't just a triad to him, it was a family. And they were falling apart. His men, they would be taken away and never seen again. Sabo had no idea where these people were taken, what happened to them. Yakuza told him a few days ago that he thought he saw Kenji at a bar. It looked just like him. They even made eye contact. Sabo hadn't heard from Kenji since the day he was ambushed by Oni. Sabo had requested one of his men, Jin, to come to his office. He had yet to show up._

_Sabo's office was a very ornate room in his penthouse. Delicate. It was a room similar in style to the rooms in the Fire Nation Capital Building. The floor was an old-fashioned tile. A vast collection of books: history, bending styles, cultures, etc. populated the walls. The curtains blocked the light from the window behind him. _

_Sabo that he had heard a knock. He walked around his desk, opened the door and checked. The long hallways of his house stretched out, but no one was to be seen or heard. Sabo was angry. He returned to his desk and picked up the phone to try and reach Jin. No answer. _

_Sabo then noticed several of his papers had fallen off of his desk. As if a gust of wind blew over it. He knew he wasn't alone anymore._

_Sabo spoke, "Jin isn't coming, and I suspect the one responsible for that is in this room now." He said it almost as if he was accepting his own death ticket. A shiny blade slowly swung around him and was placed at his neck. Sabo didn't flinch. He wasn't afraid. He knew Oni had come for him._

_"The great Oni. We meet at last." Korra took her blade from his neck. She knew he was powerless. "May I ask why you have decided to visit me today?"_

_"Clasma," Korra said._

Yakuza, in handcuffs, was led to a police car. He sat in the backseat as the driver started the car and joined the police caravan that would take Yakuza to his prison cell. He was curious to see what they would do to him. He had a feeling he wasn't going to go to jail for long. He was sure he had seen someone, Kenji, out in town not too long ago, after he had been arrested. Kenji seemed brainwashed. Would that be worse than prison? He thought about these things.

The car was stopped in traffic for a few minutes. Yakuza looked out the windows and didn't see the rest of the caravan close by. They must have gotten broken up in traffic. He also noticed that there was only one cop in his car. Surely there had to be another one to keep an eye on Yakuza. Why were they putting no effort into this?

The car suddenly jerked to the side and drove down an old alley. It spun out onto a street with less traffic and continued to zoom through stopped cars. He didn't understand. He slid from side to side as the driver crazily sped across town. Where they seemed to be after a few minutes looked like some old docks near the water. The car stopped.

"Hey, officer. What is going on, here? Where did you take me?"

The driver didn't answer, just got out and opened Yakuza's door, grabbed his foot, and dragged out of the car and across the pavement. Yakuza yelled for help, but no one was around and the driver had a strong grip. He couldn't break free. Inside the building on the docks he was placed in a chair in a dark room and tied down. It was like all those horror cop stories he heard where the cop tortures you into telling the truth.

"I think you get the idea, by now," the officer said. The lights came on and Lin stood before him with two metal clampers. She clipped them to a metal bar that his hands were making contact with.

"Hey! W-what is this!?" Lin flipped a switch and 10,000 volts began flowing through Yakuza's body. Just to give him a taste. She shut it off quickly.

"That is what we are dealing with here, Yak. No cops around. No lawyers. No Graft. No one who can help you. Just me, and I don't care one bit about killing you. All I ask is that you answer my questions." Lin had kidnapped him, taken him from any source of protection. He was alone, and she had dissolved all of her restraints. She would get the truth from him, or he would feel 10,000 Volts over and over again. He was sweating anxiety. He never thought he would actually find himself in this situation.

_"Clasma, been here for a while now. No one seems to be able to figure it out since they are all too scared to take it. Or get their hands on it. It's in high demand by us these days. You know all about that though," Sabo said._

_"What does it do? I don't have time for any BS."_

Yakuza couldn't help his jitters even after the electricity was switched off. He saw his death before him. He saw his family's downfall. Their end was coming. Maybe if he told her, the ones who started this mess would be stopped. Maybe that was the right thing to do to save his beloved Agni Kais.

"The C-C-Clasma. Please, not again, I'll tell. I'll tell." Lin stepped away from the switch and walked toward him. "The Clasma is something we were told about a few months ago. You've seen it?"

"Yes. I have."

"Whoever made it, that "S" on the bottle is his insignia. I actually don't know who he is. I don't know who told Sabo about it. We didn't want to just go for this without knowing whether or not it worked."

_"What do you mean whether it worked?"Korra demanded, pointing her sword at Sabo's face. _

_"We saw the fiends. They were our example. They showed us something we thought was impossible. They showed us that it was possible, that Clasma was the answer. And it was all we wanted after that. This substance, Clasma, gives people the power to bend."_

"That's not possible," Lin said. "It can't be."

"It is possible. The fiends showed us that it was. The man, Steel, was a nonbender. After using Clasma, he could manipulate fire. He could control it like he was a master doing it all his life. We were stunned. Sabo, our leader and beloved Don, lost his firebending, the staple of our family, to Amon. Our family lost its definition, but then this miracle substance introduced itself to us. A hope that Sabo would be able to firebend again."

_Korra had no words. She could not believe what she had been told. She thought this was impossible, but it was clearly shown to work. Steel, he became a firebender. His inner Chi paths had been rearranged somehow by this substance. The only conclusion was that this Clasma was somehow a tangible form of Cosmic Energy. Transferrable Chi._

_Korra hit Sabo across the face. "You imbecile! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Do you have any idea the instability you are introducing to this society because of this Clasma?"_

_"I didn't introduce it. It was already here." So many thoughts were going through Korra's mind. This was truly the reason she was called back here._

_"This is more horrible than I could have thought. How is this possible? How can one take the chaotic Cosmic Energy that flows around us and make it into some physical substance? That is not how it is supposed to be! Everything is being thrown off balance. You don't even realize the higher power you are tampering with."_

_Sabo was angry. "Are you any different than I? Would you turn down this idea so easily? The power to regain one's lost bending. A piece of our identity. Something we owned that was forcibly taken from us. I doubt it would come as easily to anyone to turn that down. This has the power to give it back to us. We can control who can bend. It is the new era!"_

_Korra had heard that phrase. From the Spirits, but more recently, from Graft's crew. Somehow it was all connected._

"This must be stopped. This Clasma is not something we as humans can use. I don't know how it got here, but something must have gone wrong," Lin said in response.

"But we can regain what we have lost."

"What are the risks? Tell me."

"There were several fiends who had a bad experience, but only a few. One of them, the most infamous, went by the name of Pig. His mind split in half. He thought he was two different people. And then his skin started to decay. The fiends said he had evil Chi paths that rejected the Clasma. I didn't know what to think. It was a few bad cases."

"This drug isn't meant to be in our hands. It will disrupt all of society. We aren't supposed to be the people who decide who gets to bend or not. Think of what can go wrong."

"In the end, Sabo decided the possibility of getting his bending back was more important. Since then, it was most important to us as well. Think about it, Lin. What would you do to get your metalbending back? Would you really turn away the Clasma so easily if it meant that? If you could earthbend again?" Lin didn't have an answer. Her defunct earthbending abilities was a memory she had tried to forget. She didn't want to revive the idea of her bending's return.

_Pig. Korra had heard about these two characters: Pig and Steel. To Sabo, the risk of meeting Pig's fate was not so big that he would turn down the idea of getting his bending back. Sabo told her about this. The fiends were their test subjects._

_Korra said, "You were using these people to test your drug. Innocent people. Do you know why they went crazy? Clasma is cosmic energy. Cosmic energy flows from this world to the Spirit World. The Chi that flows within us is this Cosmic Energy. It keeps our abilities, but also our feelings and memories and personality. Forever. When it is transferred through this Clasma, those memories are clashing with the fiends' memories. The possibility that your Chi will conflict with this new Chi that belonged to someone else is so incredibly high. You're toying with our humanity!"_

_"You've failed to understand me, Oni. I did not do this. I did not use the fiends as test subjects. I didn't make this drug. We didn't start this trade. We were told of it. There is something bigger going on here that you might be unaware of. Unfortunately, I am too. I just went for it, and in the end, I guess I was a test subject as well. A test to see how much people would give up to get their bending back."_

_Korra suddenly realized why she was unable to detect what kind of benders the men who attacked her and Bolin were. They were on this Clasma. Their bending was artificial. And the weapons they used. The grenades. Those were no gangsters._

_"Who told you about this?" Korra demanded. Those men had taken the Clasma from her. She had a feeling they were involved in its creation._

_"All I know is a name: Solomon. It means nothing to me, but it is what the "S" stands for on the vials. I could tell you more if I knew what happened to my men after they were arrested. I never see them again. Look, if you plan to kill me while you are here…" Korra had what she needed. The only reason she remained was because she sensed it again. The artificial bending. She turned to run. In the next instant the windows behind Sabo shattered. Two men dressed in all black landed on either side of Sabo, who looked surprised._

_The man to the left of Sabo shot something at Korra, who rolled across the office to avoid them. It was the same rugged blades she had been stabbed with._

_ She reached the door. One of the men followed her. He wore a mask to protect his face from their flash bangs. Korra leaped over the railing and found herself in the living room. She would not let this man catch her and harm her like the previous one did. She reached the balcony. She would be safe once she was outside. _

_Korra climbed over the balcony and began going down the side of the building. In the living room she heard the clank of a grenade, but this was not a flash grenade. It exploded in a fiery storm, engulfing the entire penthouse. Korra was able to jump to the adjacent rooftop. By this point, the man in black was no longer trailing her._

Lin's case was growing out of control. The forces she was now dealing with stretched beyond this world. It may not have been something she could deal with.

"Why haven't you told the police this before?"

Yakuza sighed. "The Chief told me…not to." Lin's eyes widened. She had no explanation for this. But at this moment, something else came to mind.

"You say Steel had become a master firebender because of this Clasma?" she asked.

"I would think he had been doing it for years." Lin gasped. She suddenly realized the danger in which she had put Bolin.


	23. Steel

-Steel- 

Bolin had no knowledge of what was happening on the other side of town. His anxiety over the task ahead was consuming all of his attention. When the traffic let up he passed the bridge to Pratt Street and continued on to an area of Republic City which, while it wasn't littered with drug addicts, was not the safest area. This added to Bolin's uneasiness.

He pulled up to a stoplight. The street read Decatur. It was a rough neighborhood. He was glad his car could still lock, but he didn't think any one of these thugs would try to steal his heap of crap.

Bolin found the building. 1200 Block. Right on the corner, it looked like it would fall apart. Fourth floor looked normal from where Bolin was.

_Just breathe,_ he told himself. _Just a fiend. I mean how bad can it possibly be? Nothing can just make you super strong. If anything it is probably that one drug that makes you more resistant to pain. You aren't actually invincible. _ If he had to, Bolin was ready to shoot or earthbend for his life. He actually brought a gun with him this time even though he trusted his earthbending. He had never been on a mission like this where he had to apprehend a dangerous man, not even with Lin. And now his first time and he was all by himself. But it was just a fiend. Just a guy. He couldn't bend. Lin was right. Bolin felt he could handle this. Once he did, nothing would be as bad. Anything is better than the events that happened the previous night with Oni.

Bolin walked up to the desk and showed his badge. "Republic City Police here to investigate the resident in room 1407." His badge was very old and dirty. The police station didn't want him to have a nice one. The guy at the desk just waived him off. Bolin wanted to seem important so he felt he'd introduce himself.

Up the stairs, he was on the fourth floor. Room seven was at the end of the hallway. No noises. No crazy rumbling. Bolin wasn't really sure what he had expected. He slowly approached carefully as if being too loud would alert the man inside the apartment who called himself Steel. He thought maybe he should ask the neighbors some questions first. Get some background.

Nah, he had come this far. No point in delaying it. He knew what to do. He knew Steel had to go down. He could subdue this guy if he had to. Bolin stood in front of the door but to the side in case Steel noticed the shadows from his feet underneath the door. He stared at the door knob.

_Now or never, buddy._ Bolin's radio was going off, but it was out in the car. He had no idea about Lin's warning to not go up against Steel because he was actually a deadly firebender.

Bolin kicked open the door. His gun pointed, he barged in. "Hands in the air!" he yelled. No one was in this room. He walked into the next and found a large, muscular tattooed man sitting at a table. "Hands in the air!" he yelled again. The man looked at him. A mask that resembled a gas mask sat on the table. An empty syringe was there too. The man was pulsing, veins were visible on his forehead. He was red and sweating. Drug-use from the looks of it.

"What is the meaning of this?" Steel asked. He struggled to speak. After a few seconds, though, he cracked his neck and seemed fine all of a sudden, breathing out a deep breath.

"Steel, I am assuming? You are under arrest for your involvement in the drug trade and warfare over the last few months. Also the murder of…uhm," Bolin blanked the name.

"Some Agni Kai firebender?" Steel said. He stood up. He wore a wife beater so all of his tattoos were visible. He was incredibly intimidating to Bolin. He looked as though he could snap Bolin in half. Steel's eyes were crazy eyes.

Bolin had a gun, but he felt that it could do no damage. "Don't move, hands on your head!" Steel backed away from Bolin a few paces. Bolin didn't know whether or not to shoot. Steel slowly put his hands up.

"I don't have any excuse, kid. But I can tell that this whole experience I've been forced through has really made me a better man. I've finally undone the misery of my old life. You wouldn't believe the things I've been able to learn. Things that no one in history has ever done."

Bolin removed his cuffs. "You have the right to remain silent…"

"You don't have to feed me my rights. I have no human rights. I am…no longer human," Bolin stopped. "You have stepped into the lair of a god, my young friend." Steel's two fingers were pointed in the air. The sound of thunder grew extremely loud instantaneously as Steel charged a lightning bolt and shot it. Bolin leaped into the other room, dropping his gun. The bolt completely destroyed the wall.

Steel let out a roaring laugh and walked into sight. He began charging another lightning bolt. Bolin fled and made it to the hallway just as Steel blew up his apartment. From the ground, Bolin saw Steel walk through the door and send a fireball blazing down the hallway straight for him. The blast was consuming both the floor and the wall, forcing Bolin to go out the window. The ground luckily was cement below, so Bolin was able to use his earthbending to raise a platform and safely land. Bolin knew it was illegal to earthbend manmade surfaces like this, but he thought he'd make an exception for this situation.

Steel followed him out the window landed hard on the ground in the alley, across from Bolin. _What the hell, I never signed up for this. Firebending? That wasn't what I heard. The drug must have enhanced his firebending somehow,_ Bolin thought. But now, Bolin realized he had earth around him in the form of cement. Steel had stepped into Bolin's terrain. "You stand no chance out here, Steel!"

Bolin kicked the ground and square of cement was uplifted and rose before him. With a swinging kick, Bolin used his earthbending to launch the cement block at Steel. "Enjoy some nice rock to the face!" he yelled. The block went full-speed through the air right at Steel's face.

Steel got into a stance, stretched out his arm, and stopped the cement in midair. It was just there, floating before his face. Steel smiled.

Bolin couldn't speak. "What? How did you…"

Steel spun around and countered by kicking the rock back at Bolin, who just barely got out of the way. Bolin tried to concentrate and attempted to slam Steel with a few more. Hardened cement blocks were flying back and forth, but Steel proved to be an amazing earthbender as well as firebender. He would break all of Bolin's blocks with his lightning or smash them with other blocks. Bolin had never had to fight someone who knew two elements. He didn't know how to approach it.

Steel flipped forward and pulled a large chunk of cement out of the ground which crashed in front of Bolin. Bolin backed away until he fell. Steel then used his firebending to launch himself onto the roof of the apartment building four stories up. Bolin lied on his back for a few seconds trying to figure what just happened. He saw Steel take off and quickly rose to his feet and launched himself onto the roof as well using earthbending. Steel was far away already. Bolin resolved to chase him. He was getting tired of all these rooftop chases. He took off, but didn't get very far before he lost sight of the firebending, earthbending fiend.

"What in the hell?" was all Bolin said as he panted. Bolin thought he was dreaming. He didn't know what to make of this. Things seemed way over his head.

When he returned to his car, he heard the sound of Lin's voice coming from his radio.


	24. SHIVA

-Shiva-

"Lin?" Bolin asked to the radio, starting his car.

"Bolin! Oh thank goodness."

"Lin. I lost Steel. He took off. I tried to follow but he was a master firebender…and earthbender."

"He could bend both elements? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just have no idea what is going on anymore."

"Bolin, the drug that everyone has been fighting over. It is called Clasma. It can allow people to bend."

"…"

"Bolin, it is extremely dangerous and has a devastating effect on the user. They go insane. I urge you not to take it!"

"I wasn't planning on doing that, Lin." Bolin was driving through the city, looking for any signs of Steel.

"Bolin, this news is most disturbing and it just came to my attention as well. Do not return to the police station today. Just go home and meet me at my place in the morning."

"Lin, Steel is on the loose. He is out of his mind. He tried to kill me and blew up his whole apartment."

"Notify the police, Bolin. I know that sounds strange from me. They aren't good at solving cases but they will at least make sure a crazy man like Steel doesn't destroy their city if they want to protect their image."

"Alright, I'll just head on home…" Bolin stopped talking when he saw movement in his rear-view mirror. Movement from his backseat. He slammed on the brakes. A person had stowed away in the backseat of his car. Bolin cursed, dropped the radio and screeched to a stop. This person put her hands against doors of the car to hold on. Bolin thought he was going to be murdered. He thought it was Steel, back to burn him up in fire. He breathed heavily. This was all getting too much for him.

Bolin jumped out of the car and prepared himself to fight. Whoever was in his backseat sat motionless, scared to death. He then realized it was just some random girl. Probably drunk. He ushered for her to get out but she remained. He got frustrated and ordered her in a more intimidating manner. She got out finally and stood before him. Bolin was surprised this actually worked.

She had a hood up over her head. The hood was part of a long jacket that covered the rest of her. She had no shoes on. Under her jacket were a few items of clothing but not something a girl would wear out in this cold weather. The sun was going down at this point so he took out a flashlight.

"Ma'am, can I help you with something? I hope you weren't planning on stealing this car. I am going to have to take you in," he asked. She didn't speak. She was panting, nervously. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises. Recent cuts. She had been running.

"I'm…sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." She wouldn't look at Bolin in the face. She couldn't have been much older than he was.

"Ma'am, are you okay? You look hurt. Is something wrong?"

"Please, can you help me?" she asked. Cars drove around Bolin's stopped car. He didn't want to get too much attention. His head was in overdrive after the events of the last twenty-four hours. Bolin was letting it clutter his brain until he realized that this was the essence of his job: being there for someone who needed help. That was why he became a cop. He would never forgive himself if he turned his back on her.

"Why don't I get you out of the cold. I'll take you to get something to eat and get you warm. It's freezing out here. You can trust me," he smiled. She backed away slightly, then looked at his car and around her. Bolin didn't know why he felt he could just trust this girl, but to him she was lost and looking for help. "Please, I can help you. I won't hurt you or anything. It's my job to protect people." She stood for a moment nervously then nodded. They got into his car and he headed for his favorite dumplings place.

"The name is Bolin. Hey, you like dumplings? I could really use some right now," he asked. She didn't answer. "Well, we can hang out there for little to get warm and get you fed."

"Can you take me somewhere safe? Somewhere that isn't in public?" she asked.

"Well I can take you to my place, but first you're going to have to tell me what is going on. I can't do anything for you if I don't trust you," he said. It was a little while before he was back in his part of town. As he drove, watched her. She kept her head hidden under her coat's hood.

"I can't tell you very much," she said.

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't really know, myself. Where I came from they called me Shiva. That's not my real name, but I don't remember my real name so it doesn't really matter."

"Where did you come from?"

"I was a prisoner. For some people," she started tearing up. "I'm sorry, I didn't know who they were or what they wanted. All I know is that they locked me up, and the food they gave me made me forget things. I have a hard time remembering anything before I got there or how I got there." Tears were coming down her face.

"Hey, don't worry about it, don't let it stress you out, uh," Bolin didn't know where to take her. He didn't want to take her to the police station. They wouldn't do anything for her. Her story was interesting to him. These cases were getting out of hand anyway, he might as well take on another one. He decided his place would be safe for her. At least until he thought of what to do and she got cleaned up a little. "Alright here's what we'll do. I'll stop and grab us some food to take home back to my place. I can also grab some clothes for you at the place next door. Some value store sells cheap pajamas probably. I got a bed and a couch and a bathroom so you can clean up and eat and shower and whatever, have a sleep and tomorrow we can figure things out. How's that sound?"

Shiva smiled, barely. Bolin knew that was just what she wanted to hear. He didn't know if she had any malicious intentions to hurt Bolin, but he doubted it. He could tell that, even if there was more to her than she told him, she desperately needed help. Maybe Bolin was just too easy to fool, but Bolin was also lost, so he figured they could be lost together. Bolin would never turn down a person in need. "That sounds great. Thank you so much, Bolin."

Even he couldn't believe it after the mess he had just been put through, but Bolin was happy again. For the first time, he saw the effect he had yearned for, the effect of excellent police work, in this young girl, who was initially scared and helpless. But now she smiled, even if it was only a little one.


	25. Respite

-Respite—

He sipped his hot tea on the porch. An extra ingredient was added to this cup to ease his anxiety. Tenzin rarely drank, but he made an exception after he heard the news from Lin about the Clasma.

Korra sneaked up the hill. Once again, he expected her. "There is no need to be stealthy, Korra," he yelled. She stopped and walked up to him.

"Is there anyone here?"

"No. Just some of the Acolytes, but they are all in their dormitories."

"Where is your family?"

Tenzin sighed. "I sent them away a few days ago. To their Uncle's out west. Pema, too. Republic City is no safe place for my family. The crime is unacceptable, and being this close…I couldn't risk it."

"I can't believe things have gotten this bad. The things that happened today…"

"Lin told me everything," Tenzin said. "I don't know how this substance came to be in existence. I don't even know how anyone found out about it."

"It's a real mess out there, Tenzin. The people who use it lose their sanity and just rampage. I shouldn't even be here I need to find these fiends before they massacre everyone in the city…" Korra started to cry a little. "But I didn't know where to turn, Tenzin. This is all too much for me to handle. And the police aren't doing anything. I can't find all these people but they are out there."

"Korra, what has happened today?"

Korra started crying a little more. "I found where Sabo was hiding, the leader of the Agni Kais. I thought he was the guy in charge of everything. I thought stopping him would stop the crime, stop the Spirits, but he was just being used. He didn't know anything. Something bigger is going on and I don't know what it is. Tenzin, I don't know what to do." She was really crying now.

Tenzin put his arm around Korra to calm her down. "Korra, you aren't expected to solve everything, you have to understand that."

"But if I don't, no one else will!"

"What makes you think this is much bigger?"

"Tenzin, these men have been after me. When I busted a Clasma trade last night, and just today when I spoke with Sabo. These men in all black attacked me. They had these weapons, one of them exploded and blinded me. And when I was at Sabo's, they threw something that blew up his entire house. They actually meant to kill me. I think they took Sabo away and did something to him. They weren't his men. I think they are involved in this whole Clasma thing."

"Okay, we can figure this out, Korra. Did Sabo tell you anything?"

Korra sniffed a little and wiped her tears away. She caught her breath. "He said, that, he wasn't in charge. That someone specifically told him about the Clasma, and the fiends were proof that it could give someone the power to bend. This guy, Steel, learned to firebend. And now he is on the loose."

Tenzin sighed. "Korra, Lin told me some disturbing news as well. There was a man she interrogated who told her why no one ever knew about this Clasma's abilities before: they were told not to say anything."

"By their gang's leaders?"

"I think it was our own police force that told them to keep their mouths shut," Tenzin admitted.

"Do you really believe that?"

"It is plausible. Think about it: they want the support of Republic City. If everyone finds out that there is this devastating drug going around, they might turn their backs on the police force. On the council. On Graft."

Graft was an interesting person in all this. Surely he had to have known what this Clasma could do.

"Korra, can you describe the men you saw to me again?"

"They wore all black and were extremely fast. They were on Clasma. Their bending was artificial I know it."

"What kind of weapons did they use?"

"They threw something that just exploded. The first time it was loud bang and a flash that almost blinded me. The second time it exploded into fire. They also had these sharp objects. Not knives they were more jagged like rocks. I was nearly stabbed with one."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was taken care of by someone." Korra thought about Asami and felt strange.

"Well that is good. I'm not sure what this all means, but I also don't know how much longer I can stay with the council. They tell me nothing, and nothing is getting done. I don't know who to trust anymore or what is actually going on. I can honestly say I have had enough of them. Their red tape makes it impossible to get anything done, and I am no longer using my time productively there at the court room. Tomorrow, I plan to resign."

"What will you do after?"

"I want to leave and join my family, but I don't think that is right. There are too many problems here, so I feel compelled to stay. I might try and contact Lin. She, too, is frustrated with all this. She has already gone outside the law to get the job done. What is so curious to me is that these weapons your attackers used seem so advanced. They are unlike anything I've heard of before. And Graft has apparently been priding himself in his weapons development."

"There is some connection, Tenzin. Sabo spoke of the new era regarding this Clasma, and that is what the government keeps promising. Maybe I should look into this man, Graft. Is there some way I can find out more about him?"

"Well, I don't know much more about him than you do. He shows his face every so often but I never want anything to do with him. His grapple on the city's businesses is tightening. Everything isn't even the government, it's just Graft. Everything goes to him. I don't know more than that, but I think there should be some file on him at the police station. Might not be much information but it could help. Maybe they have it in case something goes wrong and they need some evidence against Graft. So that our government is not turned on by the people."

"So, then, even Graft is at the mercy of the government?"

"His project is big, but I think it is risky too. If he fails, it wouldn't surprise me if Chief Qu had some dirt on Graft to use against him so that Qu could get off clean. If you can get your hands on this file, Korra, that might help."

"What are you thinking, Tenzin? I mean, about Graft?"

"I'm not sure. The thing that bothers me, though, is that I think he had something to do with those explosive weapons your attackers used."

Korra was scared. This definitely was bigger and much more complicated than simple gang warfare. "The Spirits were right. Everything has gone to shit."

"Korra! This isn't something we can't solve."

"You don't understand. The Spirits are upset. Upset with me because I have failed. They've told me, and they are tired of it. I can see why now." Tenzin hugged Korra.

"Don't talk like that. Whatever the Spirits are upset over, we can fix. We have before. This isn't nearly as bad as the Great War, and we overcame that didn't we?"

This wasn't the same. Korra knew they were tapping into a higher power. The Spirits wanted to end the human race because of it. "Tenzin, do you know the name Solomon?"

Tenzin thought for a moment. "It doesn't sound familiar to me." Korra was sad and dismissed the topic. Tenzin noticed Korra's mood and didn't want to send her back into the city just yet. If he could, he would have taken her and brought her with him out west to his family where she would be safe. Letting Korra return to the city was like watching her descend into an underworld where everyone wanted her dead. He couldn't make her leave, but he could at least make her feel better while she had to stay here. "Korra, why don't I make you some tea."

She sat and drank her tea, delaying her return to the dark city. Tenzin didn't want to talk about Clasma or Graft anymore. Korra was too bothered by everything right now. "So other than all this, how has living in the city been? Have you met anyone?"

Korra found this hard to answer. Everything she had done since her arrival was for her mission to find the source of the Spirits' aggression. She did have that one conversation with Asami. "Tenzin, I'm a little confused about something. I think I've developed weird feelings for someone."

"Mm, that is a confusing thing."

"Yeah this one is particularly confusing. I'm not sure I should be feeling this way for this person. I can't tell if it is normal or not…or if it is right."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just the way this person is I guess."

"Well, there is no clear answer to questions like that, Korra. If it is important to you it doesn't really matter if it is normal to others, does it?"

Tenzin and Korra continued talking for a while. She needed to get away from the overwhelming duty Korra had given herself. The city loomed. She soon stood to return to the task at hand. It was a nice break with her friend and former mentor. He was one of the wisest men she knew. It was definitely a necessary respite. The next night, she decided she would follow his advice and find Graft's file.

Korra was worried she wouldn't find an answer, that she was looking at sources that did not depend on each other. Somehow, everything—Sabo, Graft, Steel, Clasma, Daya—it all needed to be connected. Otherwise, she might never find the answer to this problem, and the Spirits would have their vengeance.

l-l

Bolin parked his car outside his apartment building. He had hot food and new clothes for his new friend, Shiva. She didn't speak the rest of the way back, just looked out the window.

"We are here?" she asked.

"Yep, it's all safe." She got out and put her hood up. She quickly walked into the building and followed Bolin to his room. It was a small room with a bed and a couch. Pabu lied on his back on the couch, fat and asleep.

"So," Bolin said, "I'll just take the couch with my ferret. You can have the bed there. Shower is to your right. I'll just plop on the couch. I'll be asleep pretty quickly I've had a long day."

"I think I'll shower really quick if you don't mind. Maybe the water will help me remember something."

"Oh, go ahead. Don't mind at all. Take your time, I can't imagine what you must be going through. If you need anything I'll be right here. I'll try and stay awake until you are going to sleep in case you want something."

Bolin sat on the couch and fought his tiredness. He was beat. The shower ran. He never had been in a situation like this—keeping someone in his house to protect them. This would be fun, actually. Having a roommate could be cool, who knows? He could use the company. Over the past few months he hadn't really had someone to talk to about what he was going through other than Pabu. Mako had his own issues and didn't have much time for Bolin, and Lin was a brick wall.

Bolin suddenly thought about Korra. Korra had been gone for so long. The city could probably use her, but they seemed to be getting by so far. Maybe he would send her a message asking her to come back. She was never the same after she lost her bending. She stopped talking to everyone and none of them ever heard from her again.

Bolin missed Korra. She would have listened to him. Bolin wanted to unload his woes at this moment. His overbearing police work. He was in over his head, dealing with cosmic energy manipulation. People making themselves benders. Could they take it from other people as well?

Bolin felt he wasn't able to handle this work. He always just wanted a position where he could see the difference he made. A job with the police, he didn't know of a better way than to help make people safe. But since he started, he hadn't really done anything for anyone, and everyone was in more danger as the days went on. Psychos running through the streets. Bolin wasn't the one to be out there finding these guys. He called the metalbenders earlier. They could probably find them. At least he didn't hear anything on the radio of people being killed by a man who could bend two elements.

The shower stopped and Shiva exited the bathroom in her pajamas. "Everything all good?" Bolin asked, then turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Shiva, all cleaned up and sparkling. He was speechless, he didn't even hear her answer.

Shiva was absolutely gorgeous to Bolin. Her strange, dark blue hair fell in front of her radiant blue eyes. Her bleeding cuts had been reduced to tiny red slivers on her face. Her beautiful face. Bolin's heart pounded. She must have been as old as he was, if not only slightly older. She noticed his gaze and smiled. She let her hair down out of its ponytail and walked to the bed. Bolin never took his eyes off of her.

He had hoped to talk to her and learn more about her, but he was scared he wouldn't be able to find any words to say at all. His tongue would be tied. Was this a good thing, or was this going to make living with her extremely hard? He was glad he hadn't noticed her stunning beauty beforehand so he could easily tell her his name.

"Bolin, everything okay? You look like you just forgot something."

"Uhh, yeah, yeah. I'm…it's all good. Just uh gonna head to bed. You need anything?"

"No, I'm just excited for a real bed. I'm sorry I've just sort of barged in on your life like this. I really hope you don't mind me being here."

"No, no. It's completely fine I am happy to help out. I hope you can recover some of your memories soon. I'm interested to know what happened to you."

Shiva looked down. "Yeah, I hope so. I'll…see what I can remember in the morning. I'll tell you everything I know."

"Yeah, well…I'm sorry. I mean, that isn't all I care about, you know…I also want to learn more just about you, so, I hope you remember for that reason just as much. More so…more so actually."

Shiva smiled and walked over to Bolin and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Bolin. You hardly know me and you've been so good to me. I promise I won't cause you any trouble." Bolin detected her sincerity. He was happy he was doing this. In this city filled with lunatics and murderers and unsolvable problems, he was happy just to be able to help someone. He was also happy that this girl was extremely pretty.

"No problem, Shiva. Good night." She broke her embrace. Bolin felt himself about to kiss her but stopped himself before she seemed to notice. She got up and slowly got into his bed.

"And thanks for the bed, too. It was very kind of you. I hope you sleep well."

Bolin thought he would have no trouble sleeping, but his heart was beating too fast because of the girl who was only feet from him. In his bed. He didn't mind this. Sometimes he would just sleep on the couch for the heck of it. Maybe helping this girl would solve his problems. Maybe they would fall for each other and make some nice life somewhere peaceful.

Bolin knew he couldn't leave behind his responsibilities in Republic City. He didn't want to stop being a cop, but he did want his current case to end. He would repeatedly find himself following a lead, hoping to solve some mystery, only to get beaten up and more confused about what was going on and he was getting tired of this pattern. Tomorrow he concluded he would go to Lin's and learn what new dangerous mission she was going to have him do. He didn't want to go anywhere. He just wanted to continue this respite, and spend it with Shiva. He doubted Lin would have him go after Steel again. Something made him think his next investigation would be very different.

l-l

This was the last straw. She had been strangled. It was unfair. Nothing was. Nothing had ever been fair in Asami's life. She had managed to get through it all, somehow she held it together.

Today she was losing it. Graft had eliminated her. Wiped her off of his radar. Future Industries was no more after today. She had gone into the office the previous day to see an empty building. Her employees had abandoned her. Her machines were repossessed. How could they do this? How could they come in and take everything she and her father had worked hard to get.

They just could. They could do anything now. The Chief and Graft. They ruled. They dictated what was right and what was wrong. They controlled the law now, and they deemed it right to shut her down. She was powerless. They called it fair competition, she called it tyranny. Future Industries would have thrived in the free market. She could have brought it back. She could have undone its disgrace. It was too late now. The factory, the cars, her office, it was all no longer hers. She even felt apologetic to her father for failing.

Asami never felt more like a failure than she had that day. Just the previous day Future Industries had been obliterated. She had not slept since then. Her house was trashed. Asami's punching bag in her workout room was torn apart. Pictures of her and her father were broken and laying on the floor. Throwing knives were sticking in the walls. Documents were burnt to a crisp Asami sat on the floor in the main hall of her house with her Equalist glove next to her.

"I give up." Asami felt abandoned. Her mother had died. Her father attempted to kill her. She had been turned on, lied to, and used. Graft was laughing at her. Her plight to save Future Industries was hopeless. He knew it from the beginning, and she kind of did as well. She was humiliated.

She pulled at her hair and screamed. No one would hear her. No one would ever hear her anymore. Everyone had left her.

She needed someone. This corrupted world had broken everyone down, and all that was left was the desire of another person. To know that there is still some hope for a meaningful life. A true respite from this misery.


	26. Sparking Up

-Sparking Up—

The green substance flowed slowly back and forth in the vial as Lin repeatedly turned it over in her room.

She knew it was dangerous. She knew that it could hurt more than it could help her. But still. The possibility that this substance could contain what she lost and longed for. She imagined the scared faces of Fu and Rong and Qu as she stormed back into the police station with her full metalbending abilities. They wouldn't even be able to touch. No more pushing her around.

_That is not the way to think, Lin. You'd be no better than they are…_she thought. Yakuza was right. The option was tempting. She put the vial away when Bolin arrived. She wanted to get rid of it, but she didn't know a safe way to do it.

"They got Steel. After you reported it, he was found and killed. I just found out today," Lin told Bolin when he walked in The sun was rising. Bolin was on edge.

He had left Shiva at his apartment. She was still sleeping like a baby, like she hadn't slept in months, so he left her a note. He was uneasy because he was afraid whatever she had run away from would find her again. He was also uneasy because he was currently rooming with someone he had quickly developed extremely strong feelings for.

She was so beautiful, and her voice was so sweet, and her body…

"Bolin are you listening? I said Steel was killed."

"The police got him?" Bolin asked, confused. "How?"

"I'm not sure what happened. I tried to get in touch with them but they wouldn't answer. Just a message sent out that Steel was killed and his body was in the Autopsy Room at the station. It sure was quick."

"Yeah, I wonder how they got him so easily he was big."

"Bolin, forget about Steel. Finding guys like him won't help. Apparently our police can do that. Our work must focus on what is causing all this. I need you to look into something new. I need you to find information on Graft."

"Yeah. I thought you'd say that. Graft _has _been an object of suspicion ever since his rise to power."

"Yes. He is involved. I need to know more about him. Any information will help."

"Where can I get any information on him if he is always locked away in his building?"

"You're going to have to go outside the law on this one, Bolin. I'm going to need you to steal a few things from the Police Station. Some documentation. Documentation on Graft as well as anything written by Qu, like a diary or something."

"Why would they have his information?"

"It is my belief that even within the government there are one-sided relationships and corruption between its members. Chief Qu has his own motives, he wants this city to be a certain way. Graft seems to agree with him, for now. If Graft were to step out of line and turn the citizens against the government, Chief Qu would want to save his own ass. I don't think Graft knows about this. I would think then that Qu would have stowed away some kind of file on Graft for proof if anything went wrong, at least, that is what Tenzin seems to think."

Bolin was skeptical. "Why would Tenzin know about this? Why don't we just go public? Show that the government is corrupted?"

"Tenzin used to be involved in documenting suspicious people in the city. They exist, I'm just guessing they would have one on Graft. I'm not positive, but it is a start to look there, first. To get any dirt on Graft or Qu or the whole government. Tenzin is a very analytical person. He can read people by listening to their discussions. He's been able to find underlying meanings in everything and they usually turn out to be true. Even when he was a kid, he knew how I felt about him and I acted no differently around him than anyone else. And he was right. So no, he may not be completely correct, but I believe he is. Think about it, the government members have put so much faith in Graft. He is their keystone. They've taken so much for this project and so if it doesn't work, they would fall. Qu would need an escape, and Tenzin might still have some intelligence about the status of the criminal records. It is worth looking into. As for telling the public, I don't think that is the best idea. Graft is still loved, and we aren't. The government controls everything now. Private ownership has gone away. The people who used to believe in freedom, the ones who lost their companies and life's work to Graft, they have all been exiled it seems. Abandoned the city. They gave up, and all that remain are people who blindly follow the government. They make the rules and decide what is right, decide who is right, and we are at their mercy. No matter how right we may be, they can make everyone believe something ridiculous to turn them against us."

Bolin knew Lin was right. The government had exponentially grown in their power. So much of it belonging to so few people, and now there was instability among these few people. The city is inevitably headed for a downfall. "Why does it have to be me?"

"Bolin, as much as it pains me to say it, no one really notices what you do. They ignore you. I hope this isn't news. You could get in so easily and no one would care, just put on your goofy investigator persona. They'll probably just laugh you aside, but that is it. They would ask me what I was doing there, interrogate me, kick me out. I am no longer welcome in the police station my own mother built."

Lin's words stabbed Bolin, but he knew it was all true. He wasn't worth anything to them, even though he believed his work was for the most important cause. It was true. Lin knew it. Bolin was the hardest working cop in the station. He had done more for this city in the last few months of his service than any of the current police men would do in their lifetime.

l-l

Asami walked out of the convenience store. It was about midday now. She needed to get out of the house. She just got on her scooter and let it take her to wherever in the city. She drove until she wanted to stop, and it had been here at this convenience store.

This side of the city was grayer than the rest. The bridge a few blocks down the street led to Pratt Street. She didn't want to go there, but she didn't want to be near her old building. People would recognize her. She wanted to be invisible. She walked to her parked scooter and put the bag on the seat. She pulled out the small box and removed a cigarette, then used lighter to spark up and commenced smoking. It was quite a sensation. Asami started smoking after her fallout with her father then quickly tried to stop. She didn't have any reason to stop now. She would smoke this whole pack. Nothing really mattered to her anymore. Except…

While riding around on her scooter, Asami was half-hoping that it didn't come to her being here doing this. She leaned against her scooter and looked into the window of the store, seeing her reflection next to a poster for the smokes she just bought. A beautiful, slender women was on the poster, smoking, smiling, looking sexy. Advertising. Approved and used by Graft himself. Asami felt sick, but it was no use. She might as well let Graft kill her in every way, then. Inside the convenience store there was a screen at the register. Apparently it served to replace a clerk, but it was being removed now and a human clerk operated the check-out counter again. Graft had taken this store. Even this store. Asami figured he needed his smokes, too.

Asami tried to hide it, but her intention for coming to Republic City aside from getting out of her quiet and lonely house was to find Korra. She was hoping Korra would reveal herself behind a shadow or on top of a building. Asami had no idea where she would even find Korra on a day like this. Or any day.

Huff. Puff. Asami never coughed. People passed her without notice. Not many people, though, and those passing were rushing to get indoors. The man who was behind her in line in the store was strange. He was very pungent, and kept buying things and then getting something else and getting back in line. Stalling. He looked anxious. Sweating. He had tattoos. Being so close to Pratt Street, Asami wasn't surprised to see weird people. It was midday, why was everyone so scared? She knew about all the crimes, but it didn't really stop her from chilling outside.

The man behind her in the store began to harass the guy behind the counter. Arguing about something stupid. The clerk was obviously right, but this weird dude would't give up. On top of the convenient store was a billboard, but burned into the propaganda, over Graft and the Chief's face, was just a word: LIES. Asami had passed various forms of graffiti on her little afternoon trip. She saw Korra's name, Oni. She saw ravaged walls and buildings of companies Graft had absorbed. She wondered if her own building had been vandalized after shutting down. Graft would probably use it for something.

This guy was still arguing. He was going to get thrown out. The clerk wasn't even arguing anymore. The guy was just yelling at himself. Asami's focus switched and she noticed her reflection in the window. Her smoking self. Did she feel bad? Not really. She was so consumed with her own image in the reflection that she barely noticed the red scarf trailing off the man who had just passed by in front of her. The very familiar red scarf.

Asami blew out some smoke and almost coughed as she looked at the man who had passed her. Slender body, black hair, that gait. Yeah, it was him alright. Did he notice her? He walked a little farther down the road then slowed down.

Mako turned around slightly and looked at her. She could tell out of her periphery that he was doing this. Did he want to say something? Did she? She returned his gaze and gave him an expression of recognition.

"Uhh," Mako uttered. He was frozen.

Asami looked away and back in the convenience store window. She wanted to say something to Mako as he stood there. She didn't hate him. She was about to speak, but was interrupted by what she saw. The man in the store was just arguing with himself. This had been going on for a while. Then, he had stopped arguing and waterbent some hot coffee into a sharp crystal. He stabbed the clerk and yelled.

Asami dropped her cigarette and was ready to take this guy down. Cracked her knuckles. She needed someone to unleash her fury on. However, the man turned around and eyeballed her. He had crazy eyes. He smiled and clenched his fists. Fire began shooting out, sending the store up into flames. Several gas tanks were in the store. Asami yelled for Mako to run and they got out of the way of the fire blast that burst through the window.

The man walked out of the flames, using his firebending to protect himself. He shot a fireball at Asami and Mako, and they fled down an alley. Several puddles littered the ground which began to rise and turn into sharp icicles heading straight for the two old friends. Mako melted them with a fire blast. The alley dead-ended.

"Mako, why can this guy bend two things?"

"I never knew Clasma could let you do this. He must be a fiend on Clasma, it gives people bending."

The man approached them. "Such a beautiful girl. Why don't you let me have a turn with her, pal."

Asami and Mako had no choice: they charged the man and began to fight him. The combination of water and firebending made the battle extremely difficult, but soon it didn't matter. What seemed like a tiny metal ball clanked on the ground in front of Asami, another in front of Mako. Asami had noticed it quickly and was able to kick it away before it went off, but Mako was too late. The balls exploded into bright flashes and a loud screech. Mako was blinded completely, but Asami had backed away far enough that she retained some of her sight. She moved to the edge of the alley and saw three men in black appear before her. She wasn't sure if she was really seeing it. Her memory was failing to store any new images she saw.

Mako lost his balance and fell to the ground. He tried to get his senses back as one of the men dragged his body behind some debris. Just out of site. Then returned. The other two held down the rampaging fiend. While he was taken down, one of the men drew a long, sharp rock that seemed to glow. They impaled the fiend in his upper arm. The fiend weakened tremendously. Then they turned to Asami, but she was already back at her scooter.

She sped off but found driving difficult with her impaired sight and hearing. Not many cars filled the road these days because of events similar to the one that just happened to her. Maybe that is why everyone is inside, but if she hadn't turned away from that flash, she would've been completely blinded like Mako and wouldn't have seen those men at all. How often did that kind of thing happen?

She didn't know where to go. She swerved on the roads and made random turns. She felt bad about leaving Mako. She hoped they just left him alone. Once she was back in her normal state, she would have to find out if he was okay. When she decided she was far enough away, she stopped her scooter, surprised that she never crashed. She was still hearing the ringing. She went into a small noodles place, lit a cigarette and tried to get her senses back. She remained in the store for the rest of the day until she was told to leave from all the smoke.


	27. The File

-The File—

"I thought you said there was a file on Graft at the station?" Lin yelled at Tenzin in her living room. Bolin stood awkwardly to the side, not knowing what to say.

"I told you. I only inferred that they would want to keep documentation on him as leverage."

"Apparently you were wrong. I need that information, Tenzin! " Lin snapped.

"Lin, I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. You'll have to find something else," Tenzin said.

Lin glared at the silent Bolin. "Nothing at all? What about Qu's diary?" Lin asked.

"Uh, no. I looked everywhere and I couldn't find it. I did what you said. There was a place with files that was closed off so I had to find the key. I looked under all the G names in the file cabinet. Also, the Chief's door was locked too so I couldn't sneak into there to get any of his stuff," Bolin said. _Thank goodness,_ he thought.

Lin looked suspiciously from Bolin to Tenzin. "So you just gave up and left? You couldn't have found _that_ key?" Lin sighed and rubbed her head. "I don't think this file on Graft is nonexistent, Bolin. I think someone else got it before us." She continued staring at Tenzin. He got upset.

"Well, maybe it will just turn up then," he said, then left her apartment.

It was the night after she told Bolin to retrieve Graft's records. "Lin, did you go to the station today?"

"No I didn't. I wouldn't be welcome there. Why?"

"They were talking about you. Like, worse than usual. They said you were a threat and something had to be done."

"Each one of them is too much of a pussy to do anything to me," Lin said angrily. Fury leaked out of her when she spoke every sentence. This case was loosening her grip on her temper.

"I'm just saying, please be careful," Bolin said. "I have to go home. My roommate has been lonely most of the day and I want to make sure nothing has happened."

"Bolin, I want you to stay indoors as much as possible over the next few days. I would advise avoiding the station. Psychos are running through the street and our own police department is untrustworthy. You will come here when I call you. There are things I am going to look into myself. Report to me when you've found something, and come here. "

"Right-o." Lin looked at him curiously. She was starting to calm down.

"Hm, the girl you almost ran into, your new roommate, right? How is she?"

"Good, I think. Her memory is slowly returning I think."

"Something tells me her case isn't completely unrelated to our work."

Bolin had been by to check on Shiva throughout that day. She was keeping busy by watching television about Graft, reading the newspaper about Graft. Pabu lied across her lap. He had quickly taken a liking to Shiva.

"You have a thing for Graft?" Bolin asked her when he returned home.

"I remember that name." Bolin was excited. Her memory had slowly been coming back. It was progress. She was remembering new things every day. Bolin was overjoyed to be home with her. He sat next to her as close as possible without being creepy. She didn't seem to notice. Score.

"That's great! It's not hard to believe. Graft's name is everywhere, all over the news and stuff, as you can see. He's…popular these days."

"Yeah, I can tell." Shiva stood up and walked to the window. She looked at the city.

"How was your day? Do you want anything?"

"My day was okay. I just tried to remember some things."

"Any more luck?"

"Yeah, actually. I think I can tell you a little bit more now," she said. "I was kept in a room with a bed, and the door had a slot where they would give me food. I specifically remember the food tasting very weird. It was just bread, just potatoes, and even the water. Such normal things and somehow it tasted really strange all the time. I don't remember how many meals I've had, but I know that they did something to me. I could not remember how I got there once I started eating. They never made contact with me any other way, so it had to be food.

"The length of time I was imprisoned there is unknown to me. It was very monotonous, I don't remember if it was any different before but the memories I have are just of sitting around in that room waiting for my next meal. I felt sick because I couldn't remember myself. I felt depressed. All I knew anymore were the four walls around me, but I remembered there was something beyond them. I just didn't know what. I heard them talking one time. They said my hair color changed since I had been there. That I had become more neutral in my personality. I was an experiment, Bolin. That is something…"

"Shiva…," Bolin said quietly.

"Shiva was the experiment they did. That was what they referred to me as since that was the name of the experiment. They were trying to make some kind of destructive weapon out of me."

"How did you escape?" Bolin asked.

Shiva sighed deeply. "There was something I learned while I was in that prison." She moved her hands away from the windows and the condensation came off as water. A sphere of water formed over her hand. No drips. No errors.

"Wow! You're a waterbender. So you waterbent your way out?"

"Yes. They were surprised as well. They didn't think it worked. I was a failure to them. I managed to escape one night. For a few nights I had refused to eat so I could remember this part a little easier. I ran through long corridors that all looked the same, all had the same "S" insignia every few meters. It was all corridors until I got to a sewer. Men dressed in all black tried to stop me. They hurt me with some of their weirdly shaped blades but I managed to elude them. The sewer went on for a while and I had lost their trail eventually. They were kind of easy to avoid after a while actually. The sewer led me the channel, somewhere close to the city limits. There was nowhere beyond there to go if I didn't want to freeze to death, so travelled back into the city and found you."

"Could you tell me where this sewer was? Maybe I can look into it and see where you were being held so we can stop these guys." Bolin had a map and Shiva was able to easily locate it and tell him how to navigate through the sewer to get back. It was actually pretty simple. But Shiva did not want to go back.

"Bolin these men were dangerous. They cut me with their blades, but it felt different than just an ordinary cut. I felt like some part of myself left my body along with my blood. Some part of me was just sucked out. Like they tapped into my memories, kind of like the food. They were quick. I feel as though I got out too easily and they are expecting someone to return the way I left. I don't want you to go there, please, just stay with me for now."

Bolin would definitely do this. As long as she was in his care he would not let these men come for her. She needed him. She looked as if she had more to say.

"Bolin, that's not all. I know it looks like I am a waterbender. I don't remember much from my life before. I don't remember what I was, but I remember what I wasn't. I know that I was never a waterbender before that place."

Bolin suddenly realized what kind of experiment may have been done on her. Whatever was in her food had traces of Clasma. "Shiva, I think you might have been exposed to something potentially dangerous in there. Have you heard of a substance called Clasma?"

"No, I've never heard the name." She began looking worried. She started to cry.

"I think they put it in your food to change how cosmic energy and you interact so that you could learn to bend. It is a miraculous thing, but it is extremely dangerous. It is somehow going around the city, and the people that use it develop split personalities and start going crazy." Bolin was saying the wrong things. She was crying now. He hugged her and she cried on him.

"Bolin, please, I don't know what is happening. I've changed. I don't want to go insane. I want to be the way I was before." Sobbing. Bolin hugged her tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to you." Bolin was no longer concerned about Graft or the files he failed to steal that day. His priority was Shiva.

The files on Graft. The diary. They had existed, but another person had gotten to it sooner. Korra sat in her bedroom, crying as well. The file rested next to her yet to be opened. Upon her return from the station, her closet that was full of Clasma samples was empty. Someone had robbed her and taken the most dangerous substance and she didn't have any idea who it could have been or how they found her. She thought about how stupid it was just storing it in her room. All that remained from this robbery was the smell of spray-paint lining her room. A large "S" above her trashed bed.

Korra had failed again. She heard someone behind her.

"Korra." It was Asami. "Are you okay?"

Korra turned around, then back again. "Asami…"

Asami walked over and sat on the floor next to Korra. They sat in silence for a few minutes while one of them thought about what to say to break it.

Asami initiated. "What happened here?"

Korra wiped her eyes. "I guess I was found out. Asami, have you heard of Clasma?"

"No, what is it? Are you okay?"

"It is this drug that has been causing all the crime lately. It gives people the power to bend."

Asami's eyes widened. The man who just tried to mow her and Mako down must have been using that. "I know what you are talking about Korra."

"I've been collecting it since I got here, well, stealing it from the mob meetings I've raided. It was what everyone was after. Tenzin just said not to let the police get it because they wouldn't know what to do but I didn't either so I just kept it and now someone broke in and took them all," Korra was crying again, then she got angry. "Jeez, and all I've been doing is crying over this and not dealing with it. I'm so angry at myself and everyone around me."

Asami felt her problems were put into some perspective by the troubles Korra was going through. "Korra…"

"There isn't anything you can say, Asami. I know you want me to feel better but I'm dealing with something that is beyond this world. If I don't succeed…bad things are going to happen," Korra said. The conversation was slow. Each time someone said something there was a resting period before the next person spoke.

"I know it seems hard Korra, and it probably is, but even someone like you needs a friend with them while they go through these dark times. It's the only way to keep your sanity."

Korra knew Asami was right. Korra knew she needed help with what she was doing. She had friends here in the city. They were just scattered now. But maybe she could start here and bring them back together. For another mission. Korra realized this may be too much for one person.

She wiped her face again. "Agh, okay. So I'm dealing with a little crisis right now, but, maybe if we work together we can fix this thing, right?"

"What is that next to you?" Asami was referring to the large file folder next to Korra.

"Those are a few things I stole from the police station today. I was trying to see if they had any files on Graft, and they did, but I also took some journal entries from the Chief himself. I was going to look through them but then I got overwhelmed by how bad of a situation it is that all this Clasma is missing. If anyone shows up though, I'll knock them silly."

Asami wanted to know anything about Graft, the man who took one of the last things she had and now was trying to ruin Korra. "Shall we take a look?"

"Yeah, let's do it."


	28. Qu's Journal

-Qu's Journal—

They opened the folder to find various transcriptions, photos, reports, and journal entries. Some of them by Qu, and some by Graft himself.

"Where do we start with this?" Korra asked.

A few pictures showed two men, one with black hair and one with white hair. It was a little blurry.

"That is Graft on the left," Asami pointed out. "The guy with the black hair. I've met him. I don't know who that guy on the right is."

So that was Graft. "They look like friends or something," Korra said.

"I find it hard to believe Graft has friends for some reason. He is so isolated."

They looked through more photos. One was a lab, nothing unusual. One was a mountain, maybe where one of the labs was located. "Mount Ozai. That really steep one outside the city that no one ever wants to drive on. That isn't far from here."

An interesting document was a police report with Graft's name on it. "What is this for?" Korra asked. It didn't specifically state what he did, just that he had committed a crime.

They dug deeper. Eventually the pictures and records weren't helping because no labels were associated with them, so they decided to go through the journal entries. Graft's entries were a mess of chicken scratch and illegible equations and handwriting. Things were written horizontally, then overwritten sideways so there was documentation in all directions. Korra and Asami tried to decipher it for some time. They made out some of his equations, the word "Clasma" was there somewhere they thought, "fossil" was definitely in there, and the name "Solomon." On one page there were several paragraphs that they could read, but only a few facts about a human's blood composition. They wanted to give up.

"Ugh, what is with this guy? He just chicken scratches everything! I can't make out a single thing," Asami yelled.

"It looks like he knows what Clasma is. It says it here a couple of times. It looks urgent."

"What about the things you stole from Qu? You think we'll be able to trust it?"

"Not sure, he is a man of lies. I wouldn't be so quick to believe what he writes, but it can't hurt to read it. Maybe it will point us in some kind of direction."

Below is a summary of the entries they perused.

Chief Qu:

'The light of the world. The bringer of peace. The one who will set the path to a new era.

Graft.

I think it is necessary to document how this whole project started.

Graft got to where he is because of sabotage. Abandoning his past, destroying relationships, burning any connection to anything but his work. That is what makes a genius, a man who brings change. What kind of change?

I believe it is a good change. No one may stand by me when I say that people like Graft can move the world forward. People who forsake everything they have for the things they do. I know no one would support me, but they don't know what I have to deal with. If they don't know, I can bring them a better society, but we can only do it if they leave us alone.

Graft's past isn't something I should make known to our citizens. It can be taken the wrong way. Graft was born in Ba Sing Sei to a poor family. He told me how fascinated he was by bending ever since he was a child and witnessed someone earthbending. He wanted to know its secrets.

Graft studied Biology, but it taught him nothing. What he wanted to know was what allowed the human body to form a telekinetic connection to an element. Which bodily processes or organs allowed a human to be able to create fire or lift a rock? Graft expressed his love for discovering the truth behind these mysterious abilities some humans have had for centuries.

Graft, like most humans, sought companionship in his quest, and also in his life. At a young age, Graft befriended a man named Solomon Haile. They shared a similar drive. Nothing could pull them away from their work. Like lovers, they spent every day together.

Graft's movement across the earth was very frequent and sporadic. He and Solomon didn't spend all of these travels together. Their work alternated between lab work and excavating ancient ruins. That is what Graft said. For years he just traveled the Earth until he made his breakthrough discovery: The Clasma.

He called it his discovery, but this seems unreliable. When he explained something to me, an explanation he had given me earlier, details would change. His stories were never consistent, so it is difficult to believe this man.

He informed me that Solomon did not have anything to do with this project. Solomon abandoned it, but Graft wanted to bring it to society. He knew it was the key to our utopia, and I believed him.

He told me that the Clasma was already in the hands of the public. The gangsters. The fiends. I was going to have him killed, but I decided against it, and here is why. Graft told me what this Clasma could do, but he needed further testing. Human testing. Worthless bodies and criminals could not have been better test subjects, Graft said. They would show him what Clasma was good and the Clasma that tore the mind apart.

I was skeptical, but it soon made sense. Graft said he would take responsibility for anything that went wrong, because he knew nothing would go wrong. Anything that seemed bad could only help the power of those in charge. The Clasma would produce massacres, and the city's benefactors would be looked to, depended on, loved, when these benefactors offered their citizens protection. I would say we were putting out the fire we started, but I didn't start this. The city was already going to shit, who would tell its citizens the poison that has been released?

Graft promised me he would stop it, but he needed resources, he needed Clasma, he needed people. He told me the benefactors could take it. The state that this city was heading toward, the people would give up everything for people who made them believe they could save it. Graft's crisis that he brought about gave me the opportunity to lead this city into the new world.'

Korra put is journal down. She looked at the last document. The paper had scribbles all over it. Graft's scribbles. It was legible, a single word, written over and over.

Animal.

"So Graft caused this mess? The Clasma was released because of him?" Asami asked.

"He was using these people to see how it worked on humans. Unethical boundaries, and Qu let it happen. Graft set the city on fire, and all Qu saw was an opportunity to make himself a king by saying he could save everyone." Korra picked up the picture of Graft and the unknown man. Based on Qu's account, she inferred the other man with white hair to be Solomon. "And Solomon, why does everything have his "S" on it? Qu said he didn't believe Graft when he told him the Clasma was his discovery. This guy, Solomon, had something to do with it as well. I wonder what happened to him."

"We need to find him. He can tell us everything about Graft. Everything we need to know so we can get him," Asami said sinisterly.

Korra looked at her. "Asami, what are you thinking about?"

"Graft is evil, and he is the one in control of our city. No one else is going to try and stop this because no one knows what is happening. Graft needs to go down."

Korra knew Asami was right. Graft was bad news, and she even thought he had something to do with the anger in the Spirit World. Things were all connected. But she needed more. She had to know about Solomon, about where he is and what happened to him.

Animal. Korra knew Animal would know. Korra needed to see her. "Asami, you're right. We need to do something about this. There is something I need to do first. Someone I need to see. Give me 24 hours, okay? I'll meet you at your house in 24 hours and we can come up with…something."

"Okay, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, but it can only help us now. It might be dangerous. Please just do this for me."

Asami nodded in agreement and stood to leave.

"Thanks, Asami." Asami smiled, and Korra returned it. They stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds. Korra tried as hard as she could to stop any blood from rushing to her face.

Asami didn't speak, but she didn't want to. She wanted to be closer to Korra. She wanted Korra's warmth as she believed it would heal everything. As if it would shine light on the darkness. Asami's mind produced a storm of clashing emotions: a confusion over her strong feelings to be embraced and kissed by Korra. She recognized this feeling. She never felt this for any friend, it always for someone who was more than that.

At that moment, Asami wanted nothing more than to lean forward and erase the gap between her and Korra's lips, but she didn't. Something bad was happening and the times might soon get dark. The city needed Korra, and they needed her at her best. Asami didn't want to jeopardize any of that by doing something impulsive.

She had never known that something like this could exist between two…women.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow night then," Asami said, smiled, and turned around to leave.

"Asami…how did you find me here?"

Asami didn't answer right away. She looked confused. "I thought you told me you lived here."

"I don't think I ever told you that."

Asami tried to remember and realized Korra had never told her, at least not in person. Asami heard Korra's voice that day, calling to her, as if it were through the wind or something. She felt it, and she followed it to Korra.

Korra didn't know what she was feeling, whether or not she was glad nothing happened between them that evening. Asami said she wasn't sure how she knew, and proceeded to leave. Korra got together all of her stuff, which wasn't very much, and said goodbye to her trashed room to visit Animal.

She wouldn't return here, and in the span of 24 hours between that night and the next, a lot was going to happen.


	29. O-Ren

**/*Another quick, chill one then things are going to get intense. Thanks for reading!*/**

-O-Ren—

That night, Mako returned to his attic of a home with a stabbing pain in his head. He thought he had taken a beating from a group of people, but all he could remember was the mad fiend. His memory was fuzzy. He remembered there was a bright flash and he was thrown on the ground. He was almost positive no one intervened in the brawl. It was just him there, and the fiend. But why didn't it seem like that was true? Why did he feel like someone else was there too?

Mako noticed a small cut on his arm. The size was not big, but it was rather deep. He didn't notice it until he got home . It must have been some kind of blade, but it wasn't smooth at all. He felt like the cut had made him sick, like the blade had been infected. He hoped that he didn't get infected with Clasma.

He didn't know any new bending, but he found firebending was more difficult than usual. He attributed this to his weakened state. He was tired.

Mako hadn't seen O-Ren since the day after the incident at Central Station. Mako had explained what the man said, that the stuff, Clasma, gives people the power to bend, but it also drives people crazy. That was all Mako told O-Ren, but he knew there was more, and he knew it had to do with Graft. Mako had seen the word, Clasma, written in a file during his time at Graft's office. The word was a hybrid of Chi and plasma, since the liquid substance took on a plasma state of matter.

Mako didn't want to tell O-Ren this because he wasn't sure if Mako's omission of revealing this information earlier was a mistake. He was ashamed with himself. O-Ren was always honest with Mako. O-Ren never felt ashamed about his past, about his struggling family and drinking problem. About his origins.

O-Ren was raised by a foster family because he was given up at birth. His foster dad was an engineer at the Cabbage Corp. and worked tirelessly to support his wife and O-Ren. O-Ren admitted his failures to Mako. He was a bad seed. He was always causing trouble. He loved his parents and respected them, but he spent his days robbing, drinking, drugging, shooting, and vandalizing. Much of this was made easier due to the fact that O-Ren quickly learned to metalbend. He left behind his old name and adopted O-Ren. Although he loved his father, he knew it wasn't his real one. He was just an important person to O-Ren. He felt he had no paternal guide.

In addition to this, O-Ren has had a bipolar disorder since the day he was born. He expressed erratic changes in his personality when he was younger. Apparently, drugs helped neutralize this and he has been very stable since his childhood. O-Ren eventually came across Lin's path while she was still Chief of Police, and she discovered O-Ren's mastery in metalbending. She had him trained rigorously and he shaped up over time. Desiring to redeem himself, O-Ren joined the police force. He admired Lin's leadership.

After Amon's war and Graft's arrival, O-Ren couldn't bear to continue his work. He began losing motivation and turned to his older ways when Qu became chief. He hated this the most. Qu's leadership. The way he shunned Lin. And, above all, O-Ren started to feel sick again. After years of improvement, his mind lost some of its stability and caused him to plunge until he was thrown on the street. O-Ren has hated Graft and Qu since their installment in Republic City. He attributes his mental instability issues to their corruption.

Mako wanted to find O-Ren. He hadn't seen him at the plant the few times Mako had gone in to work. Mako would have to bus to his place, but he really didn't feel like moving.

He didn't have to. Mako heard his door open and close. O-Ren stood before him with his sleepless-looking face. "Been a while," he said.

"Yeah," Mako said. "How've you been?"

"You all right, man? Things going okay and all? You seemed upset last time we talked."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little disturbed with the things going on. Like this whole Clasma thing, man…"

O-Ren picked up some ornaments laying around Mako's room and examined them. "Blue Moon Festival. That is where these are from?"

"Yeah, uhm, I got them for this girl I was seeing a while back, but she stopped coming around so I never gave them to her. Just a random girl."

"You don't seem to have much luck with girls, Mako."

"I guess not. O-Ren what are you doing here? I'm just curious."

"Mako, you don't look good. What happened to you?"

"I got jumped today."

"Was it a psycho-fiend?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Mako, I wanted to ask about that place where you used to work. When you worked for Graft. Where was it?"

"Up in the mountains. I got a ride every day from this lady that worked there too or something I don't really remember."

"Do you know how you'd get there?"

"I don't remember. I was always asleep on the way there, plus I was a kid." Mako said. "Why?"

"I've been thinking. If we could find that place where you worked, maybe something is there. Like a forgotten file or something. Anything we can use to learn more about Graft."

"There isn't anything there."

O-Ren yelled and threw Mako's ornament on the ground, breaking it. Mako got pissed. "Look," O-Ren said, "Graft's just running this thing and what the hell are you doing? Just sitting here like a lazy bitch. No one is doing anything!"

"What do you want me to do, O-Ren? Vandalism? We going to write a few more threats on billboards? Or what, just roll up to Graft's office and kill him?"

"If we have to, then yes."

"You're crazy, O-Ren. What will that even prove? Graft hasn't killed anyone. It would look pretty bad on us if we killed someone everyone believes is the savior, right?"

"Then that is why we need to go to his old lab, to get proof. Proof that he did something horrible. No one just comes to this city and gets permission to shut everything down. It isn't natural. He did something, made some kind of deal and got big. If we can expose him we can end this mess."

O-Ren was starting to make sense to Mako. Graft was shady business. The government was on a tight rope working with him, Mako knew it. He thought for sure if they looked hard enough, they would find something.

"Gah," O-Ren yelled. "You know what f #% it. Screw you, Mako. Enjoy your corrupted world. You know, it doesn't take some god to try and do what is right."

"O-Ren wait," Mako yelled. O-Ren had already shut the door.

"What in the hell, man," Mako said to himself. O-Ren was acting very diferent.

Mako decided that the next day he would do some research as well as try to remember how to get to Graft's old lab. Mako didn't want to see O-Ren again until he was sure he could find the lab. He knew it was somewhere in the mountains that surrounded Republic City. He wrote down several landmarks he remembered seeing as a kid, and tried to get a general idea of which direction.

West...he thought. "Let's see, to the West. What are those mountains? We got Finn Mountain, Black Platypus Bear, and…Mount Ozai."


	30. Graft's Enterprise

-Graft's Enterprise—

The following day was dark. Menacing clouds passed over Republic City. The darkness seemed to turn gradually to grayness as Korra approached Pratt Street.

Korra had hard time getting there. She felt followed. She would hear steps as she ran, but turn around to find no one. At one point she thought she saw a blur of green.

Daya. Daya had not visited for several days. Korra knew she was almost there. She almost had this figured out. At least, she hoped that she did.

She arrived at Animal's domain. Animal sat in her chair, looking down at the ground. Korra had always wondered how Animal got to this point. She never witnessed any signs of drug use. Come to think of it, Korra never really knew what kinds of drugs passed through these parts. Did anyone here even do them? Korra had been through Pratt Streets using various routes and not once did she witness a drug deal or drug use.

"Well, if it isn't my friend the great Oni." Animal looked up. Her eyes were demonic.

"Animal. I need to ask you something."

"Is this finally the right question, Oni?"

"Tell me about Graft."

"What makes you think I know anything?" Korra showed her Graft's paper with 'Animal' written all over it.

"His scratch paper."

"Where did you find such a wonderful document?"

"Graft has a file, but it told me very little. I think you can fill in those gaps."

Animal smiled, stood, and rubbed her head. "Hmm, let me see. Graft. Yes, I know a thing or two about Graft. What an interesting person, my good friend Graft. If you ever get the chance to meet him in person it truly is an experience. His mind is all over the place. There is one thing that is constant, though: his work. His work, his discovery, that is his life force. Nothing keeps him alive like his work. At one point in his life, I wouldn't believe that was true. But now, I see it is.

"Graft, believe it or not, had a friend. A very close friend that shared a passion for the work that Graft was doing. To learn the mysteries behind bending. Such a noble effort, and they worked tirelessly to solve these mysteries. Let me see if I can remember. They never worked in one place, but a very peculiar thing happened at their lab near the Si Wong Desert. Excavating, they found remains of some ancient species. Thousands of remains. Fossils. They determined these fossils to belong to a race that existed before humans. Some way or another they ended and a new one was placed on the planet.

"So our friends, Graft and Solomon, had discovered an ancient race. Our predecessors can tell us interesting things about ourselves, Oni. These fossils had long crystal-like structures protruding from them. But this isn't what killed the creature, these crystals were attached to the bone, part of the creature's structure itself. Some of them glowed green. Solomon extracted a green substance, and behold, we had Clasma.

"The crystals on these fossils could be used to draw Clasma from anything by impalement. It was tangible cosmic energy. Graft and Solomon knew very little about energy. The concept was for the spiritual. Little scientific research existed about it. They didn't know the danger in what they were doing. Simple animal testing told them that this substance had a range of effects, but nothing told them it had an effect on bending. Animals failed several memory tests and showed drastic differences in behavior.

"Graft was determined, and ethical boundaries were pushed when he brought in a human for testing. Fully willing, the human chose to be part of the experiment. A nonbender, they injected a sample of this Clasma. The effects were instantaneous. The human became an earthbender. Something changed in Graft when he saw this. Solomon changed as well, but it was for different reasons. The human test subject soon lost control of himself. His memories were replaced by others so he had forgotten who he was or how he'd gotten there. He saw everything as a threat, and began earthbending, trying to kill Solomon and Graft. Solomon was pained by what he saw, but Graft had no concern. He simply shot the subject and labeled the test as a failure. Graft believed he could fix it. He returned to the lab to see if he could render the substance.

"Graft wanted to bring this discovery to the city. Mass produce it. Give the population control over who bends. He arranged more tests. Gathered more human subjects and kept them in scattered labs. The substance made them forget how they got there so they wouldn't cause trouble. Graft saw a new era. He moved forward with the project behind Solomon's back. Graft knew he needed support, and so he released the Clasma in Republic City. It would serve both as human testing and to generate demand for his services. Only he knew the way to fix the problems that Clasma caused.

"Solomon reacted differently. After witnessing the death of the human test subject, Solomon was overcome with nightmares. Voices in the night speaking of awful things and showing him horrible scenes. Solomon realized that this substance was not meant for humans. This belonged to the Spirit World, and its existence in this world created instability. Solomon was not aware of Graft's actions until one day. He planned to end the experiment, completely silence all of the labs and destroy all the Clasma. But he was too late. The Clasma had already been unleashed.

"Graft saw Solomon as a threat. Graft envisioned a utopia. He believed that this discovery needed to be in the hands of the people. It was the only way to 'advance civilization'. To bring us into a new era. To give the people what they wanted most, above everything else. But Solomon opposed him. Graft's work became more important, and he murdered Solomon and came to Republic City."

"So," Korra said, "Solomon's dead, then. Graft killed his only friend."

"It is interesting isn't it?" Animal said. "I can hear him. Solomon. He cries for answers. He weeps over the state of our race, a race that would choose power over friendship. That embraces merciless advancement over any meaningful relationship. Solomon discovered Graft's plan, and simply waited for him to complete the deed. He didn't want to believe it was true. Solomon died in hatred, hatred for Graft, for himself, and for the whole human race."

Korra made several notes about this. Animal knew so much. "Animal, how do you know all of this?"

Animal laughed to herself. "Animal is not my name, you know? Animal was the name of an experiment. There were thousands of them. I was a test subject in one named Animal. It was a failed experiment, but now I can hear voices in the air and I have memories of things that I shouldn't have.

"All of Pratt Street is failed experiments. We are the test subjects of each installment of Clasma. Each new version, we get to be Graft's unwilling lab rats. You see people who can't walk, who don't remember their names, who take names like Reaper, Star, they are names of experiments. Graft has been unleashing his Clasma onto us for years each time he re-renders it differently. His latest batch was a success, though. Steel is proof of that. Pig was the antithesis, the failure, but people purposely blind themselves when it came to him. Many thought Steel was cured, but he had just adopted someone else's identity. People call us drug lords and fiends but we are just people who have lost their minds because of Graft's boundless mission to create benders. To achieve power. We suffered because of it. We are shunned, but no one knows this, not even the subjects themselves. Graft is evil incarnate, and he must die, Oni."

Korra thought she was talking to Daya. Solomon had expressed similar beliefs about the human race. He lost all hope for it, but Korra hadn't. Her mind then went racing over what this all meant. She needed a simple goal now. She couldn't comprehend all of this.

"Mount Ozai. What is there?"

"Graft has a lab on Mount Ozai. What is contained within that lab is dangerous."

It was getting dark. Korra needed to meet Asami soon.

Mount Ozai was not far. Korra had to see what was there. Korra needed physical proof. She would go to Mount Ozai then make it back to meet with Asami.

Korra left Animal. Before going to Mount Ozai, she told Tenzin about what she heard and delivered the file, with her recent discoveries, to Lin with a note informing her to go to Mount Ozai as well.


	31. Ascension

-Ascension—

Lin sped across the city through the barren streets, the note from Korra in her hand. Lin needed to know what was at Mount Ozai. She tried to see if Bolin would answer his radio, but she found no luck so maybe she'd have to do this alone. Bolin had his hands full protecting this girl. She wanted them to be safe. Lin would have to meet her at some point.

The file from Korra, as well as Korra's notes, contained a brief explanation for everything. Lin had seen Korra, disguised as Oni, deliver it to her, and she believed the things that were written. Graft had a bigger role in all of this than anyone knew. It all started with him. Whatever waited for her on Mount Ozai would be proof.

Lin looked at her map to see how to get to Mount Ozai, and she nearly hit the young man walking on the side of the road leading up to the mountain. She had reached the limits of the city at this point and was getting to the country roads. She got out of the car.

"Mako, what are you doing out here?" She asked, yelling through the wind that was biting her exposed face. It was getting dark and it was freezing. Mako ignored her question for a few seconds. Lin had a short fuse today, so she angrily asked him again.

"I'm trying to find something. Cabs wouldn't go this far out of the city."

"Looking for something on a highway to the mountains?"

"What do you want, Lin?"

Lin thought for a second. She realized she probably should have made Bolin come with her. This might be a dangerous mission. "You wouldn't happen to be heading to Graft's?"

Mako looked at her.

"Get in, Mako. I could use the help of someone I trust." Mako listened to her and got in. They continued to drive. "So what was the plan, just going to wander up the mountain until you freeze to death?"

Mako had spent the course of that day narrowing down possible locations of where the lab was. "How do you know what's on this mountain?" he asked.

"The police station has records on certain people in the city, and Graft was one of those people apparently. Several photos indicated that something of his was on Mount Ozai. You seem to know of this as well?"

"I learned recently that a job I held when I was younger was for Graft. Before he came to Republic City when he was just some nobody doing crazy experiments. I had to sort files because he had so many and they were so disorganized. I didn't know who he was or what he was doing. Everything was very confidential. The person who drove me there worked there too, but I was a kid so I barely paid attention to how she got there. I took a bus through the city and got off when I recognized some of the buildings. I found the street where she usually picked me up. I got to this road and I knew it was right, so I guess I just kept going."

"There must be something here, then, if you were that impatient to get there. Some kind of remains of his lab that will tell us something."

"There has to be. And if there is, I'm going to use it to expose Graft. I know you are trying to do that, too so don't try and stop me."

"I'm glad we are seeing eye-to-eye Mako, but it isn't going to be that easy even if we have evidence. The government is unpredictable and they will probably do a lot before they give up Graft."

"Then we'll just have to go and take him ourselves."

"You sound like a terrorist, Mako."

"I'm just trying to do what is right."

"The difference can be unclear to many."

Lin had a point. Even if they found proof of the corruption that Graft had introduced, it wouldn't be enough. Exposing Graft is one thing, but making an entire city believe what you want them to believe is harder. It would not be instantaneous. This whole time, Mako hadn't even considered the thousands of people who think that their safety depends on Graft.

"Lin, do you think anyone in the city would believe us? I never even considered the fact that we would have to convince so many people. We would have to start a rebellion."

"That is why we can't become terrorists, Mako. We would just be another target that people would fear and the government would thrive off of. Will these people believe us? Perhaps, but will they follow us? Will they choose to continue believing what is not true, and depending on the people that hurt them? Well, let's worry about that after tonight."

Out in the country there were no lights. All the two could see were the few meters in front of Lin's car illuminated by her headlights. The snow came down fast and heavy. The road twisted around the mountain as they went up. To their left was the mountain. To their right was a dark abyss where the mountain dropped.

"I definitely remember this. If you lose concentration for just a second, you could drive right off the edge of this road and into nothing," Mako said. Behind them, the city became a puddle of brightness.

They continued to drive around the mountain, increasing their elevation, until the road was barely visible under the blanket of heavy snow coming down up there. Mako became tired sitting in the warm car, especially after walking a long way up the road. He started dozing off but tried to snap himself awake again. He looked out into the darkness on his right as they ascended. He kept thinking he saw something, but he just attributed it to his sleepiness. Perhaps his dreams were starting to interfere with reality. Some hallucination. He couldn't tell. He thought he saw red lines in the darkness. The red moved with the car. Mako jolted himself awake and saw the red dots in the darkness for an instant before they disappeared.

The red eyes. He had seen those before…

"It's snowing too hard up here. I can't see the road under all this snow. Do you know if we are far? We might have to walk the rest of the way," Lin said, got her coat, and got out of the car. Mako followed. They began to walk up the road, hiding their faces from the cold.

Mako easily kept himself warm with his fire, but he realized that he was breathing harder than usual. He was slowing down.

"What's the hold up, Mako?"

"Firebending to keep warm. Over the last day I've found it to be a lot more difficult than it used to be," he looked around. "I think we are close."

The two battled the strong winds. Ahead they saw an area where the mountain plateaued. "I think it's up there, but, I don't remember there being that big antenna. In any case, that's it."

A huge antenna towered on top of the hill. Red lights lined it. It was active. "Mako, do you think there is someone there?"

"I didn't expect anyone to be here. Last time I was here it was an abandoned, trashed building."

"Let's check it out."

They could barely feel their extremities anymore. They needed to get out of the cold. Stumbling up the hill, they reached the top which overlooked the plateau. The antenna was connected to a large facility. A few smaller buildings surrounded a large, metal windowless tower. They didn't see any signs of humans.

"Mako? This wasn't here when you were here."

Mako spotted the building he remembered. It was a boarded up building next to the central tower.

"No. None of this."

l-l

Bolin looked out the window. He was hoping Lin didn't find out that he hadn't done any work today. He hadn't left his apartment since Shiva told him about her newly acquired memories. Luckily, Lin never tried to contact him, and after a few hours Bolin just switched his radio off. He wondered what she was up to.

It was late now. He looked out the window and saw barren streets. Empty except for the police cars that strolled through the block periodically. Driving in the new automobiles fashioned by Graft's company. More fiends were breaking loose and wreaking havoc across the city. The television was blaring news of fires, murders, and raids all day. Even if he had tried to do any work, going outdoors would place him at so much risk as Lin said.

Additionally, he didn't want to leave Shiva alone at his place, and she was gradually recalling more and more memories. He spent the day letting her concentrate while he looked out the window to make sure no fiends tried to kill them. Things seemed quiet for now.

Snow was coming down and sticking to the window. The view became blocked by a sheet of white. Bolin hadn't even changed out of what he slept in. He heard movement from Shiva.

"Shiva, everything okay?"

"I'm sorry, Bolin. I'm trying as hard as I can to remember."

"Hey, listen it's fine. Don't rush yourself you've been under a lot of stress."

"It's hard. It's hard to remember. And if I remembered faster I could be helping us quicker."

"Shiva, don't worry about that, please."

"And stop calling me Shiva!" she yelled angrily. Bolin was taken aback.

"I'm sorry."

Shiva calmed down. She was sweating and panting. She ran her hand through her hair and grunted. "This isn't even my hair color, ugh, this is such an ugly color." Her emotions were all over the place.

"Please, talk to me. Tell me what is wrong? What is making this so hard for you?"

She looked at Bolin, then around the room, collecting her thoughts for a few seconds. "I don't want to go crazy, but some of these thoughts I have, some of these things about me…they aren't me. This isn't my hair. I'm not a waterbender. My name…", she looked up, "I know it's in my head somewhere. But there are so many memories I don't recognize. I know that they happened, but I don't feel they ever involved _me._ The memories that return are of places I've never been. Places with glaciers and water and ice. And I know those aren't right, but there are other memories. And I was sure those were mine, but now I'm not and I can't tell."

Bolin approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Those are yours. Focus on them and filter out the untrue memories. Focus and tell me what you see. Tell me who you are."

She struggled with this, and began talking in broken sentences, "The experiment…was called Shiva…and they gave me food to make me be able to bend ice…no, water. Okay, yeah that is correct. Bolin I was just a regular girl before that…I don't know what I had done or why they took me, but I had… brown hair…I had brown hair, then. Yeah. It was long and beautiful. And my eyes…my eyes weren't blue like they are now. I was part of a family…a family that loved me," she closed her eyes, repeating the words "loved me", and seemed to go into a trance, a peaceful trance, almost euphoric as she had some remote idea of who she was before. She kept saying "loved" like it was a mantra.

"You remember them, your family?"

She was silent for a while, smiling faintly, then said, "I do. They…loved me. They raised me. I went to a school. I knew people. I knew…bad people," her smile started to fade. "I knew people that did bad things. I didn't want to be a part of it, I didn't! I swear! I never wanted to have anything to do with you!"

She wasn't yelling at Bolin, she was yelling at a memory, but she at least knew it was her memory.

"I didn't, Bolin," she said, crying. "I know it. I wasn't the one doing it, I was hurt by someone. And I was taken somewhere that wasn't a hospital. They said that I was going to die. But I didn't. The last face I saw was his," she pointed to the television flashing Graft's face.

"Graft? You saw Graft?"

"I was of use to him, and they fed me, and I got better, but something else came with it. I was going to be some kind of weapon but it didn't work the way they expected. They were trying to make these weapons called…called Drones. That is what they called them. I had never seen one, but I think I would have become one if I had kept eating. I would have become their killing said, before I broke out, that I was a failed experiment, and they wanted me…to be brought to an animal."

"They were going to feed you to an animal!?"

"No, it didn't sound like that. They referred to it as if it could talk. It was at a place they said I could stay and be left alone by the world. So no one would ever find me again."

Not an animal. Not a beast. A person. "Animal. They were going to bring you to Pratt Street." Bolin thought about what Shiva had looked like when he first found her: A bloody face, failure to remember who she was, unstable emotions-if Bolin had found her on Pratt Street, roaming around mindlessly, he would have figured her to be nothing more than a fiend. "You were…his experiment. Shiva." Shiva. Animal. Steel. Pig.

"But I'm starting to remember. I'm starting to remember who I was. I had a family. I had a normal life. I had a name. I was…Sydney."

Sydney. She wasn't an experiment. She wasn't some piece of waste to be thrown onto the streets. Graft used her as one. Graft saw commodity. But Bolin saw a girl. A girl whose life was ripped away from her. How much of her life did Graft destroy? What series of events led her to be a part of all this? Bolin didn't know, but he wanted blood. Graft's blood.

"Sydney, I'm going to find the one that did this to you. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you, even if it means everything I have, this man has taken from you a life you didn't have the chance to live."

"Bolin," she grabbed his arm, "please, don't go. Not yet. I've been able to remember all of this. I remember how I've felt in this life before. This life that seemed so distant before, and I gave up trying to remember it. But I can now. I can almost grasp who I was because of you."

"But I didn't do anything. The only thing I can do is take away what that man took away from you."

"But he didn't take it away, you see? He tried, he really did and he almost succeeded…but it's too powerful, this thing, and you've helped me realize that. You've helped me…rediscover something I thought was lost."

"But how?"

"You…cared."

Bolin's hatred for Graft was subdued, locked away temporarily within him. He would find Graft and he would make him pay. But now, Sydney was what mattered to him. He couldn't move. He didn't want to. At that moment Bolin was overcome by a feeling that took anything else he was feeling at the moment and dissolved them into a storm of fiery passion.

Sydney wanted to speak. She wanted him there. She may have been selfish, but she had found Bolin, a source of something she thought was dead, something that reminded her of the good in the world: love.

Bolin didn't leave. He took Sydney and embraced her in a passionate kiss. Even if she was rediscovering herself, she was still infected with Clasma. It could continue to destroy her from the inside. She had wanted nothing more than to spend what might have been her final moments with someone like Bolin.

Their clothes were soon on the floor, and the snow on the window melted from the heat in the room of the two young lovers.


	32. Drones

-Drones—

Even up on the mountain, in the ice-cold blizzard, the metal of the tower was somehow warm. Heat emitted from the walls. Mako and Lin walked through a small corrider, sweating in their layers, until they found themselves within a massive, spacious dome that seemed to stretch so high it faded into darkness. They felt alone in the whole place. The only noise was the echo made from the automated machines operating all around them.

"What is going on in this place?" Mako's voice was louder and echoed more than he expected. Lin covered his mouth.

"Quiet," she whispered. "We don't know we are alone. Maybe we can find something where he stores data."

"How do we even know if this is Graft's place?"

Lin pointed upwards. An "S" insignia overlooked them. "That? What does that even mean?" Mako asked.

"It stands for Solomon. He worked with Graft to create Clasma. It's on all of his vials. I think he's dead now or something but for some reason Graft has made his name the official name of this…project. Maybe to throw people off of his trail."

They crossed a long bridge. Above them there was something illuminating their path. Light was emitted from something, but they couldn't tell what. Below them was darkness. On the other side of the bridge, they came to a security room which was unlocked. Several hallways stemmed from the area where the room was. The wall inside the security office was covered with various screens. They were all off. Mako went up to them and pushed a few buttons. Several screens turned on and showed images that must have been from a camera somewhere in the facility. One of the cameras showed Lin and Mako. He spotted it behind them.

"I guess they aren't too concerned with security," Mako whispered. They examined several rooms with what seemed like arrays of doors. No movement. No nothing. Mako tried to figure out what these screens showed him and where they were. He fiddled with the controls to see if he could change the camera's view. The camera's could move around but did not reveal any new information. One of the screens showed something that looked like mountains really close up. Lin gave him a radio.

"Keep an eye on the screens. I will look around." She had her sword in its sheath on her hip. Her mother's hand-crafted sword. Lin walked through various winding hallways. The place was a mess. Pipes were severed and water leaked from them onto the floor. Some areas were smeared with dried blood. She passed windows to darkened rooms, an eery glow emitting from a device within them that she could not make out. She usually found herself at locked doors and dead-ends. The place seemed too odd to her. When she moved past the darkened windows, she thought something else was moving along with her reflection. Mako's voice came over the radio. "I see you Lin." She spotted the camera.

"What is in the rooms, Mako? Can you see behind this door?"

"Not much. One of them is flooded. Are you noticing all the broken pipes and wires everywhere?"

"Yeah," she looked at the walls, "there are scratch marks here, too. Like some kind of fight happened."

"Lin, it looks like there is an unlocked door that goes into this weird looking room. Well, it's not really unocked, it's like someone hacked away at it until it just came off its hinges. It's just an empty room with a single door. But there is a light flashing next to the door so you might want to check it out. It's flashing yellow and I'd expect red mean it was locked." Mako directed Lin through the hallways and she found herself at the room he was speaking of. A small walkway led to the door.

Mako was turning on some of the other cameras while she had made her way there. One of them had a strange looking container in it. It reminded Mako of a furnace. There were some windows and they glowed brightly. He eyed a few other cameras, looking for any signs of threat or movement. Another camera caught his peripheral vision.

It was another array of doors, but one of them was slightly ajar. It moved suddenly, but a lock must have kept it attached to the wall. Something was behind that door, trying to get out. Alive.

Mako looked at the other images, different angles of these same doors. They had small windows, and what he thought was merely the darkness of the other side, was actually a person in black behind each one. It moved.

He looked back to the furnace room and realized the the liquid glowed like Clasma would. Behind all the doors, there was a similar glow. He hit a button which zoomed out the cameras. The camera looking at what he thought were mountains was zoomed out to show that it was an extreme close-up of a man's bicep. The man was strapped to a chair with dozens of wires connecting to his body and a metal helmet around his head. The wires glowed with clasma. The man's skin was decaying. He had no bottom jaw, and tentacles were growing out of his arms. But it breathed.

Lin approached the door in the room. It was locked. She couldn't see anything through the window, but she noticed the light next to the door handle on the door. "Mako," she whispered, "the door won't open, but the light next to the handle is yellow." The sign next to the door indicated the color code. Yellow meant the room was occupied. "Someone is inside…"

"Lin," Mako replied, "Lin I don't think it is safe here. The cameras that showed those doors. There are people behind those doors. I think they are exposing these people to Clasma. I'm looking at one now. This guy, he's here, they are injecting gallons of the stuff into him and its turning him into some kind of monster."

One of the cameras turned black for just a brief second, as if something had run past it. The furnace became very loud and started vibrating. Something had switched it on. The man strapped to the chair began screeching. It tried to speak, but it couldn't because say any words because it was missing half of its mouth. It just sounded like desperate mumbling. Like a dying creature. A red glow emitted from the helmet on the man.

"Lin come back, now! Something is here!" Lin was already on her way. Before she exited the room, she heard the light "ding" and turned to find the locked door now opened. Something was coming for her, and its eyes glowed red.

She quickly reached Mako back in the main room and they turned to leave, but a man dressed in all black stood on the bridge, blocking their way. Mako recognized this person. He recalled his encounter with Asami.

"Oh, I've been waiting for you people to try and stop me," Lin said. Drawing her sword, she charged, as did Mako. Mako jumped and sent flames from his feet but the man simply put his two hands out and split apart the flames. He removed two small knives and countered Lin's sword. He easily evaded both Lin and Mako's attacks at the same time. Toph's handy work proved to be exceptional as Lin's blade cut right through the man's knives, but he casually tossed the shards and ripped apart the railing of the bridge with his artificial metalbending. He used the metal bars like a staff and knocked Lin and Mako off their feet.

The man spun the detached railing around and was going to stab Lin but turned to redirect the lightning bolt that Mako had shot. He held the electricity in his body for a second, then shot it upwards at a large platform hanging directly above them. It fell and was going to destroy the bridge they were standing on.

As the platform fell, the man was hit in the back of the head by a grappling hook attached to a long wire. The wire extended from Lin's wrist. She pushed the man aside, put her hands around Mako and leaped over the edge. The grappling hook fired from her arm and planted itself into the wall of the building. They swung over the empty abyss as the platform crashed into the bridge and fell into the darkness.

Lin retracted her hook and the two zipped up the wall and landed on the side from which they had entered.

"Lin, what was that? I thought you couldn't metal bend?"

The grappling hook on the edge of the wire whipped around and stuck back into its holder. "It wasn't metalbending. This is a mechanical device. Rubber wire. Spring loaded. I don't control it." She looked across the gap. "Something else is here, Mako. Something worse than what we just faced. I think it has something to do with what you saw on the screen. We need to get back to the car."

The storm had gotten worse. It was difficult to find the car, but eventually they found the road on the side of the mountain, and the car was underneath some snow. As they were about to get in, the snow exploded as man dressed in black jumped out and lunged at them, kicking them both extremely hard, knocking them over. The man flipped backward and slowly stood up straight. It wasn't a natural looking stance. The man was twitching. Irregular movements. Something protruded from its back. It looked like two extra limbs, but not human limbs. More like those of an arachnid. It lifted its head and two circular, red eyes beamed at them through its mask. Fire began spitting from the monster's arms. It screeched loudly, echoing throughout the mountain range.

"On your feet, Mako." The two defended themselves as this monster attacked them. It was nothing like the battle they had just fought inside the tower. This thing was much faster and demonstrated excellent skills with bending. It utilized all of the elements except for air, but it never spoke. It never showed any signs of humanity. The way it moved and dodged their attacks was inhuman. It would just screech painfully loud. Like it could not speak. Like it had no mouth with which to do so. The thing was not wearing normal clothing, but instead was tightly wrapped from head to foot with dark cloth like a mummy and wore heavy boots. A metal helmet covered its face similar to the one on the man Mako had seen. The helmet covered most of its face except for its glowing red eyes.

Lin swung her sword, but two long blades extended directly from the monster's wrists. Connected to its body. Blood covered it. Green speckles reflected in the blood. Almost saturated with Clasma.

As Lin defended herself, Mako stood in amazement. He could not decide if what he was seeing was real. The monster that had haunted his dreams was here now. Lin was about to look to see what he was doing when Mako attacked relentlessly. Something had overtaken him. He seemed possessed to Lin. He did not stop firebending at the monster for even a second. The monster's screeches were complemented by Mako's angry yells as he tried to kill it. Lin had never seen Mako so angry, and did not want him to hurt himself. The monster clearly overpowered Mako, and he was going to get seriously injured, but he stood and continued fighting. The limbs extending from the monster's back could lift the earth. Mako was hit with several rocks, making him bleed, but he didn't give up. Lin had to restrain him to keep him from killing himself.

She tried to get Mako to flee with her and lose the monster. But he wouldn't move. The monster stopped suddenly, as if it had heard something, a signal from somewhere. It quickly stood up straight, very erratically, and quickly began to take off.

"No! You're not getting away from me." Mako took off after it, nearly slipping down the side of the mountain. Lin was preoccupied with something behind her. Through the heavy snowflakes pounding against her face, she thought she saw the figure of Republic City's infamous saboteur. But then it was instantly gone. She cursed for letting herself get distracted. Lin turned to see Mako going for the monster.

"Mako! Stop!" Lin followed. The monster ran to the edge of a cliff with a huge drop and jumped, its spider-legs aiding it in the jump. Mako wanted to follow, but stopped himself right at the precipice. The monster fell through the air at terminal velocity and waterbended the snow below it into an ice slide that it used to descend. It was heading for the city.

Mako yelled and shot fire out of his fists toward the air.

"Mako, it's headed for the city, we have to go, now! We have to expose Graft." Mako's fury kept him there for a second, watching the monster get away.

They had reached the car and were driving recklessly down the mountain back toward the city.

"Mako, what was that all about?"

Mako was breathing short breaths, some of them had fire in them. "That thing. I would know those eyes anywhere. That was the monster that killed my parents."

"What are you talking about?"

"The memory is as clear in my head. Like a lucid dream. I saw the red eyes of the assassin that murdered my parents. I thought I was just a kid seeing crazy things. My mind playing tricks on me and my memory refusing to tell me the truth, warped by my fear, but it was true. The thing that killed my parents was a firebender, and it killed my dad with fire. But my mother was an earthbender, and she tried to stop him. I knew I saw that monster stop her rocks, but I never thought that was possible until now."

The monster sped down the mountain. It looked behind it to see Korra following. She had found the monster in its chamber within the room Lin tried to enter. The room with the yellow light. Korra had hidden herself from the monster when it was freed and was now going after it. A gust of air lifted the monster off its feet and toward a tree. It turned and landed sideways on the tree, then flipped onto the ground. Korra slowed herself down with the air and slid by the monster, cutting one of its extra limbs off with her blades. It screeched extremely loud. She dug her blade into the ground, bringing her to a stop. The monster twitched upward to look at her. Korra knew she could take this one, but soon, one turned to many. From all directions, glowing red eyes revealed themselves. Moving toward her. A dozen of these monsters surrounded her, ready to kill. Some had similar limbs on their backs. Others had long, metal tentacles on their arms. Korra turned to face her enemies, but concluded that this was too much for her. She was alone. They would overpower her.

But she didn't have to be alone. She had to see Asami. She needed her old team to stop this now.

Korra turned and blasted a gust of air behind her, sending her quickly down the mountain and plunging, involuntarily, into icy waters near the outskirts of the city.

Clasma. Infusing Clasma with people to the point where they had lost their sanity and became drones. Lifeless drones with only one objective: killing. A soldier with no mind or ethical boundaries that will do what it is told. A perfect weapon.

Korra had lost them by now. She got out of the water, shivering uncontrollably. She needed to find Asami. She needed to assemble her old team. And she had to do it quickly.


	33. Team Avatar

-Team Avatar-

Chief Qu heard the doors fly open. He looked up to see Lin and Mako storming into his office.

"What do you think you two are doing? You can't just come in here?"

Lin angrily knocked all of Qu's things off of his desk. "What are we doing!? What is this whole government doing? You really believe you can support a man like Graft?" Lin yelled.

Qu cleared his face. "You can't be here, Lin. You aren't authorized." This was true, Lin had never been in Qu's office. A long rug trailed from the door to Qu's wooden, intricately sculpted desk. Behind him large windows overlooking the city. The center window directly faced a building. This view was interesting to Lin, she eyed it and failed to notice the two sentinels pointing guns at her. They were dressed in all black. Qu analyzed her face and saw the bits of frost trailing from Lin and Mako's hair. He looked at them suspiciously. It was snowing, but Lin looked as it she had been outside for an extended time, somewhere more extreme than Republic City.

"I think this has gotten out of hand, Qu," Lin said, but she knew she had already made a mistake by coming here.

"Lin, I know you are upset. I understand, but we can't afford to have you on this force anymore. Your behavior lately hasn't been acceptable and frankly you've lost whatever value you ever had."

Lin didn't speak. The men in the black, they looked like the same ones she and Mako fought on the mountain. The same men who stopped the fiends and killed Sabo and the other godfathers.

"I'll let this go, Lin, if you simply leave now. Quietly exit the building, and we will have no problems." Qu gave her a slip with his signature on it. A pink slip. She had been fired from the place she and her mother helped to create. She wouldn't fight him for it. Not now. It would come. But now was not the time. Lin slowly turned to leave, gesturing Mako to follow her.

They walked through hallways of the station, but they found no signs of any metalbenders, no police officers, nothing. Doors were closed. They reached the lobby, and it was empty as well. No calls. No people complaining about all the shootings, bombings, fires, disasters. None of the things caused by Graft's Clasma test subjects. Lin and Mako returned to their car.

It was the evening, and even the most active districts were empty save for several police cars that drove up and down the street. Lin was pulled over on her way home.

"Ma'am, new rule in place. Curfew. You can't be out this late," the officer said.

"Officer, I have the permission of Chief Qu," she handed him the slip.

"Head directly home, miss. Nowhere else. We see you out again and we will have to take you in. Have a nice night," he said and left her. Lin didn't want to know what happened to people who got arrested these days.

Mako sat in Lin's living room. She sat on her couch and almost fell asleep. "I'm beat."

"Lin, why did we just leave? What just happened?"

Lin sat up. "It's no use going to Qu. He's in on it too. Didn't you see his men? They were the same ones we fought on the mountain and the same ones people have seen across the city. I noticed there were no metalbenders around either, I think they are all becoming those super-soldiers. He's helping Graft with his work."

"Graft's creating monsters," _and I helped him when I was younger, _Mako thought._ I helped him make the things that killed my own parents without knowing it_.

"We have to focus on stopping him. If we can expose him somehow, if we can find a way to make this city turn their backs on him, then Qu would fall, too. Qu is just a puppet being pulled by Graft. It's no use talking to him, but I noticed the building his office directly faces. I think that is where Graft is."

Mako got up and began pacing. "We can't take Graft ourselves. We can't just barge in. We need to somehow get him caught in his act, but then still, would people want to believe us? Would they want to give up this illusion of safety? The only people who would have ever risen up against this government were the business owners and engineers that lost their companies to him. But they have all left the city. They are just gone. They were the ones to turn to now. They hated Graft, they were the elite, but we've been abandoned by them. Now we are left with people who bow down to Graft. Who have no idea the danger he is introducing. People who are too comfortable and voluntarily ignorant to help us. "

"You're right. Those were the ones we could have turned to, but they've disappeared thanks to Graft. It's no use trying to find them. We might not have time. But there is someone who can help us. We need Bolin. I need to tell him what has happened. And, I haven't heard from him all day. I'm worried."

"I'll go get him. You've already gotten your curfew warning, just lend me your car. If anything I'll say I stole it. This concerns my family, now. I want to be the one to tell Bolin what is happening."

Lin was tired. Mako seemed very alert, so she agreed to give him the keys while she rested. Mako promised to return quickly, sped downstairs and was on the street to Bolin's. He took back roads and drove down alleyways, avoiding main, busy roads so that police officers wouldn't see him, but a peculiar thing happened. He spotted a police car parked on the side of the road, two cops in the front seats watching for people breaking curfew he assumed. "Shit, just act cool," he told himself. The car was parked parallel to the street in the direction he was going. He passed the car and the two cops shined a light in his direction. He squinted as the light passed over his face. They saw him, and he began to sweat as his anxiety rose.

They never stopped him. They didn't move. Lin had driven and they immediately pulled her over. He wondered why the cops did nothing now. He arrived at Bolin's place and ran upstairs to his apartment. Mako knocked on the door, and when no answer came, he kicked it open. He was unsettled by what he saw.

Bolin lied on the ground in his undershirt and boxers, blood from a small cut caked on his face. The rest of the apartment was a mess of overturned furniture and broken appliances. Bolin was out cold. Mako poured water on his face and tried to get him to wake up. "Bolin! Bolin wake up!" Bolin's eyes slowly opened. "Bolin, come on, man."

"Mako? Mako what happened!?" he looked around frantically. He rose to his feet and looked around his bedroom, in his bathroom and under his bed.

"I don't know. I just got here and saw you on the ground. You tell me what happened." Bolin sat down on his bed, trying to reconstruct the events of the night. Mako sat next to him. "Hey, bro, seriously, are you okay? Did something bad happen?"

Bolin shook his head, "No, I thought something …great had happened actually. I think. I met this girl recently and we were talking…"

This was about the last thing Mako expected to hear. Did Bolin just get drunk out of happiness and lose control of himself on his apartment? "Uhm, that is great…did you trash the place out of celebration?"

"No…I didn't do this, I don't think. And no one robbed me, I was here. I was...dude, I was having sex!"

Again, Mako was completely thrown off, but also happy for his brother. It was nice that seeing his brother happy was enough to ease his own pains. "Dude, nice. With this girl you met? Who is she?"

"Sydney…" upon saying her name, the memories of the night came flying back. He relayed what he was remembering to Mako. He lied in bed with Sydney, naked and free and feeling the only happiness he had felt in his life even if just for a few hours. He watched her fall asleep, and she knew she was safe. He was her savior, but more importantly, he loved her. He loved her and loved seeing her happy and smiling and safe with him. He put his arm around her. He fell asleep with her. He wanted the happiness to last forever but…

Bolin's eyes opened. He saw her still there. Her eyes were open too. She looked scared. "Sydney, what is it?"

"I think…I heard something." She rose and put some of her clothes on. Bolin did as well.

"Are you sure? What did it sound like?"

"I'm not sure what it sounded like, it just sort of felt like something…

Bolin pulled his shirt over his head and saw Sydney standing there, trying to explain, but beyond her stood a man next to the bed. Dressed in all black. The man pulled out a metal ball with a pin.

_No._ Bolin tried desperately to reach for something, anything that he could throw or bend, but the flash went off and he was blinded. He saw white, and woke up just now to see Mako. "Those men, the ones in black, they took her."

Mako took a knee in front of Bolin. "Bro, that is the reason I've come for you. Those were Graft's men. It's time for Graft's reign to end. You and me, we are going to stop him."

l-l

The brothers drove back to Lin's. Bolin took the wheel this time. "Damn, this thing runs so much better than my hunk of crap. This seat doesn't even thrash around from the engine!"

"It's not supposed to do that, Bo. Your car just sucks."

"Hey, what about the police? Aren't they looking for people out late?"

"Yeah, I don't think we will have a problem. They didn't do anything when they saw me."

"So, you and Lin definitely have a plan on how to do this?"

"Well, not exactly…we need to find a way to lead Graft into a trap where he will expose himself as a criminal."

"What?" Bolin said. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him and save her from this even if it means my life. I want to give her what she might not ever have again: her own life, with her own thoughts, and her own person."

"But, Bolin, we can't become terrorists. We can't make Graft a martyr. He has a whole corrupted government behind him."

"Then we'll bring the whole establishment down. We'll tear them apart so everyone can see what he truly is. That'll generate the fire we need in these worthless remaining citizens to do something. To follow us."

Mako wasn't sure Bolin's ideas were rational. Bolin was angry, he wanted revenge. It was understandable, but it wasn't practical to just kill a man. When they returned to Lin's, however, Mako started to see that this may be the only option. On the roof of Lin's building, two red eyes beamed down at the brothers, long spider-like legs grappled onto the walls holding the figure up. It then disappeared.

"Shit, Bolin come on!"

Lin lied on her couch, half-awake, thinking about Graft and Qu, seeing their psychotic faces, their blackened eyes, their bloody hands and…

_Clank_

Lin fully awoke, her eyes wide. She heard the clank again, right behind her couch. Her front door swung open, the sound of rushing footsteps against her wooden floor. Mako rushed toward the small metal sphere and kicked it to the window. Before reaching the outside world, the sphere exploded into a fire storm engulfing half of Lin's apartment.

"Lin!" but Lin was deafened, she only saw Mako's lips moving. The flames swirled around her head and her apartment was slowly consumed. If Mako hadn't come, she would be just like her apartment, getting swallowed.

Lin saw Mako blur as he moved toward her. A figure rushed into the room after him and she recognized it to be Bolin. They were yelling about something that she couldn't hear, but she could feel. The floor of her apartment vibrated violently as she heard the sound of the monster's steps impending.

Bolin grabbed Lin and Mako's shirts, picked them off the ground and ran to the huge hole in Lin's apartment wall. They jumped out and quickly landed on a piece of the sidewalk Bolin had uplifted then lowered toward the car. Sirens were echoing in the distance as they started to drive from the burning building being evacuated. As Bolin sped down the barren streets, Mako looked behind them and gasped.

"What is it? Graft's men?" Bolin yelled. Lin turned to see what Mako was looking at. It looked like the fire from the apartment building was stretching out a long, flaming arm and was coming right at their car. It followed closely behind.

"The fire is following us." Looking harder, at the front of the ball of flame was the red-eyed drone. The drone was jet-propelling itself at them by shooting fire from its feet and hands, gliding smoothly and quickly over the surface.

Mako rolled down his window and tried to hit the monster with a lightning bolt, but the monster redirected it easily into a building, destroying it.

"Mako!" Bolin yelled. "What'd you do!?"

Mako watched in horror at the small store his lightning bolt had just dismantled. This monster had no regard for anything around it and cared only to silence the three. Lin looked at the monster riding the fire and it made her remember the stories her mother used to tell about the evil, Fire Nation princess Azula. Only this thing could use other elements as well. The car swerved as Bolin tried to avoid oncoming rocks that the monster was earthbending at them. Mako shot fire out the window, but the monster simply dodged his shots and countered with an even stronger wave of flames. Bolin felt the heat as the flames missed his car and spread across the town's building, consuming them. The entire block behind them was left burning. This had to end quickly before the monster burnt down the whole city.

The drone earthbended a chunk of the road that uplifted before the car and the giant piece of earth quickly came for them. Bolin shifted gears and made a sharp right turn down a backstreet. While turning, he moved his left hand backwards, earthbending the giant piece of road away from their car and hitting the monster, causing its fire trail to burst and explode in all directions. Just like that. Bolin smirked.

The battle wasn't over. Police sirens could be heard in all directions. Bolin kept driving. Mako and Bolin made potholes in the road behind them as they drove away, hoping it would deter the police. They had nowhere to go in the city, and they were soon upon the woods of the city limits.

Bolin didn't know where he was going, as long as the sirens kept getting fainter, he would drive until they were completely gone. They were deep into the woods as they drove southbound into the rolling hills. He started to slow down when they were sure they weren't followed. No lights were behind them, just darkness. Bolin wondered how long it had been, or if the sun had just decided it wasn't going to rise today. The night was never going to end.

"Where am I going?" Bolin asked. "Wait, we can't leave. I'm not leaving." Bolin stopped the car.

"Bolin, there are people who want to kill us. You saw what they did. We can't just go back. They'll find us and then we won't be able to anyone any good," Mako said.

"So, what? We are just going to run away? Leave all of Republic City behind and just run like cowards? I'm not doing that."

Mako grabbed Bolin's arm. "Bolin, I'm not saying that. We aren't running, we're just trying to stay alive. I promise you, we aren't turning our backs on anyone, we just have to lay low, at least for now. At least until we figure out what to do about all this. We'll save her. We aren't giving up."

In the back seat, Lin put her head back, tuning out the world and trying to get her senses back. Bolin continued to drive for a few minutes before Mako began recognizing where they were.

"Bolin, there is no way you can't know where we are."

"It's hard to tell when it's this dark. Why, you know?"

"Yeah, but, I don't think I'm going to like it. Unfortunately, it might be our only safe house…"

Mako directed Bolin up the road until they reached a driveway. The gates read, "Sato".

"Oh," Bolin said.

"Yeah, 'oh'", Mako repeated. "Well, let's see what happens."

The brothers helped Lin out of the car and walked her to the front door. After a few knocks, the door opened but instead of a friendly face, they were met with the barrel of a long pistol.

"Asami…we need help," said Mako, hoping that was who he was talking to. The gun pointed down and the long, black-haired girl showed herself in the doorway.

"Mako…Please, come in. I'm sorry," she said quickly. The three walked in and seated themselves in the main hall. Lin turned down the offer to lie in a bed and simply massaged her head a little to try and get back to normal.

"Well…where do we start…" Mako said. He knew Asami could be trusted. The awkwardness of them being in a room together again was contained as the gravity of the situation rested above all of their heads. Asami admitted that she knew that Graft was an enemy and that he needed to go down.

Mako, Bolin, and Lin told Asami their story. They explained the plight of the gangsters and that they were just being used. They explained Graft's past and that he and a man named Solomon discovered Clasma. They told of their trip to Mount Ozai, and the monster that followed them down the mountain and tried to murder Lin. And finally, they told Asami that the government was part of all this. It was all part of their project. Graft's project.

"It's much deeper than that," Bolin said. "It's not just that Graft has been taking police officers and fusing them with Clasma. He's been doing it for years. He's been testing this stuff on innocent people that he somehow abducts. The stuff erases their memory and they take on personalities of someone else. When it fails he throws them on Pratt Street. No one would ever listen to anyone who lives there."

Asami explained that Graft had everything in the city. He had absorbed all of the businesses, he had all the resources he needed, he had the trust of some and was feared by many. He was extremely dangerous and unstable.

"Graft," Lin said, "needs to be stopped. I always thought that we had to wait, to find a way to protect ourselves while we bring him down, trap him in some clever plan that would expose him. We don't have time. Graft and his whole body of henchmen are killers. They wanted to silence me for knowing the truth. They tried to keep me from investigating these events and when I didn't give up, they sent an assassin to do me in. They have no concern for the safety of this city as long as the people do not know they are doing all this and continue to depend on them. Graft cannot be reasoned with. He has given up his humanity for his mission, and in the end, we are paying for it. He is no longer considered a human to me, and because of that, we must eliminate him."

No one disagreed. If they didn't stop him, the city would burn.

"Well, Team Avatar, saving the world again, huh?" Bolin said, his voice was trying to reach that tone of optimism. His old self.

"We've saved it before," Mako said. "I think we can do it again, even though we don't have the Avatar."

"Oh, I don't think that is true." The voice was right next to Mako. In the chair perpendicular to him, a young woman sat, her face completely veiled by her hood. He had not seen her sit down. No one had noticed her there this whole time. Like she just appeared from nowhere.

She removed her hood.

"I think she's been much closer than you think," Korra said.


	34. Sink

-Sink—

Getting back into the city would be difficult. Evading Graft's drones and sentinels would be dangerous. Infiltrating Graft's hideout might be impossible. However, none of these things were extremely shocking, unlike everyone's reaction to seeing Korra in front of them.

"Well," Korra began, "I guess I wasn't expecting anything different, heh," Korra said nervously as Mako, Bolin, and Lin all stared at her in wonder, and a little anger.

"How…what…you've been here? In the city? You were here!?" Mako asked.

"A little over a month, yes."

"Thought you'd come back and start some more trouble?" Lin asked, begrudgingly.

"I thought I could help the city again, actually. This place was already in trouble. I don't think _my_ return has exacerbated it this time, thankfully. It was my intention to avoid that," Korra said.

"You've been…running around at night and doing all that…stuff?" Bolin said. "I chased you!"

"Yeah, I was surprised. You kept up."

Bolin was still confused. "But I saw you. I looked at you. I'm just…how did I not know it was you?"

"It's been a while I guess. I thought it was time I revealed myself to at least my close friends." She knew the real reason they didn't recognize her, but she didn't want to talk about other races and species right now.

It had been a while. Some would even question whether their friendship had sustained since they returned to the city, and now that it was brought up by Korra, they each felt a tinge of guilt and sadness as they had let their old Team Avatar, their friendship, fall apart and become essentially nonexistent. They had all abandoned the idea that Korra would come back. They even accepted that she was just an old memory. A dead person. But here she was. Sitting there, the same Korra they had known and grown close to just a year before. She had risen from the depths of their memories and returned to fulfill her role in the team.

"Look," Korra said, "I'm sorry for keeping myself a secret, but I wasn't sure whether it'd be safe to make it known I was here. I just tried to figure out what was going on…and now I think I know. I know you guys are aware that Graft is the source of instability, but it's not just Republic City that is suffering. The Spirit World has been haunting me. We're connected to the Spirit World through the cosmic energy that flows everywhere, but since Graft has been manipulating this energy, he is negatively affecting the other world. We need to stop him."

The brothers and Lin were wary to trust Korra. They couldn't figure out why they didn't like that she had been in the city. They were slightly angry as if she had done something wrong. They knew she was trying to help; perhaps they were just upset because they missed her. Upset because they didn't feel important enough to their old friend that she couldn't tell them that she was back. It was a little insulting, but Korra's reasoning was not irrational. She had only told Tenzin, at least.

Mako had prepared himself to make this contact again with Asami, but Korra had surprised him out of nowhere. He didn't want his old feelings to come rushing back. Now of all times, he was just angry that in such a dire situation, Korra showed up and threatened to ignite the feelings which once influenced Mako to become the person that, over the last year, he was trying to forget.

Lin rose, "All of us being together again reminded me: I need to make a call. Is there a phone somewhere?" she walked into the next room and called Tenzin to tell him what had happened.

"Look," Asami said, "If we are going to get Graft, we need to go to the city."

"But we barely made it out," Mako said, occaisionally eyeing Korra to make sure he wasn't dreaming. She still sat there. "They have these new things…and they can bend multiple elements, and they are just psychotic. I don't even think there is a person under all that…"

"They're called drones," Korra interrupted. "They are so juiced up on Clasma. There are so many personalities and memories flowing through them that they have no idea who they are. There is no human left in them. They are slaves who can't decide, but they cry out to be free from their pain." The deafening screech. They wanted to die. Graft had torn apart their humanity to make a merciless law-enforcer. We're going to have to find some way to get in the city…does anyone…know of…" Korra was getting distracted by Lin who was frantically dialing numbers. She returned to the main room.

"There is no answer from Tenzin. I know it might sound irrational but I'm scared someone came for him, too."

"It's not irrational," Korra said, "because I think someone is coming for us, now. We aren't alone here." Korra rose and looked upward at the second floor. She could feel footsteps, someone speeding through the maze of halls coming for them. "It's a drone. We're going to have to figure out where we are heading on the way to the city. We are leaving now." Korra drew her blades and readied herself for the drone to show its face.

"What are you doing?" Asami said.

"Get your car, Asami. Everyone follow her and drive around front. I'll hold off the drone until you get there," Korra said. She then sensed two drones coming from both directions upstairs. "Crap, well I'll hold off the _drones_, then." Asami trusted her. She wanted to do what Korra said.

"Korra, we aren't going anywhere," Mako said. Korra ignored him as he kept saying his normal speech. "I'm staying and fighting this thing, too." Mako couldn't tell if he just wanted to help out, or if his indecisive, confused old self was resurfacing.

"Fine."

"I'm fighting, too," Bolin said, "I'm not just going to leave you…" he was interrupted. Korra airbended him across the room to where Asami was waiting.

"Everyone else just meet us out front," Korra said. They listened and headed to the garage. Asami saw the all-too-familiar duo that was Mako and Korra. A small fear revealed itself within her. A jealousy. She didn't want Mako to come in and ruin what she thought had been developing between her and Korra. Korra's big reveal could have threatened whatever relationship she and Korra now had. She liked the way they had been talking. It was just them. And now Mako. Big stupid Mako. Mako would come in and whine for attention and always go with Korra to do everything and they would just end up together like she always thought they would.

Asami desperately wanted Mako to just leave it alone. Mako hoped to do the same, but was unsure if annoying feelings would keep him from doing so.

Mako and Korra prepared themselves.

"So why'd you let me stay?" Mako asked.

"I only need one person to help me, now that I see we are dealing with two drones. Don't get any other ideas. I'm dealing with a lot right now…"

"Two!? I thought you said…"

"You ready, Mako?" She said, and at that instant two doors simultaneously burst open on the second floor. Two drones, their radiant red eyes trailing behind them, flipped over the railing in front of Korra and Mako. The drones got their readings of the two. Long blades extended from one of the drones' arms, and metal tentacles were on the other's. Both of which were then lit on fire.

The sound of swords clashing sprang around the open room. Korra's swords dealt critical damage to the weak metal inherent to the drones. Metal shards were sent flying. Unfortunately, these carried flames and soon Asami's mansion began to catch fire. Mako wasn't trying to attack the drones directly; instead he firebended walls of flames to section off the room and block the drones from getting to Korra. The house was already coming down anyway. Korra heard the sound of the car rolling up in the front of the house. She flipped over the flames and ran to the car with Mako. Asami looked in horror as her house became a massive ball of fire.

As they sped down the road, they watched Asami's house slowly collapse as it was eaten by the fire. She saw it all come down in the rear-view mirror. The group sat in silence. Asami didn't seem to be reacting to what had happened. Korra felt sympathetic. Asami had just lost everything.

_Everything except me, Asami. Except us,_ Korra thought.

Asami looked again in the mirror. _No time for pity now, girl,_ she thought to herself. The two drones glided down the street behind them using their firebending.

"The city isn't far," Asami said as she drove. Orange filled their mirrors as the drones gained on them. Asami drew her pistol from her belt and fired behind her. The bullets were surprisingly strong; one of the drones had been hit and almost stumbled over itself. She reloaded, "Any help back there would be great."

Korra hadn't moved. She felt something different now. Graft's soldiers, the ones in black, she could only sense them, only sense their artificial bending. But the drones, she not only sensed them. She _felt _them. She felt the flames coming from their fingers. The feeling made her hands warm. She thought she could almost grasp the energy as it flowed unnaturally through the drones' bodies and generated the fire. She closed her eyes and could see everything that was going on inside the drones. Maybe she_ could_ grasp it. Maybe she could manipulate it. She could feel it so easily, like it was air, or the water she used to bend.

In the backseat of Asami's convertible, Korra stood, facing the drones. She put her hands out as if she was going to waterbend. She was touching the energy, it flowed between her fingers from the drones. They knew it too. They sped up after her. Korra's hands began to shake. Blood flowed differently through her veins. Thoughts began filling her head, thousands of thoughts, memories, none of them were hers. She began to sweat, and grunt, but she was plunging deeper into the energy around her. She followed it like a stem jutting out from somewhere. Eventually, it was as if her spirit had met her enemies. Within her mind, she was deep in the pool of cosmic energy swirling around in the bodies of the drones.

Mako and Bolin didn't interfere. The drones started to slow down. Their fire became less powerful. Korra sifted through thousands of memories, and somehow, she was eradicating them. She felt the heat of fire, and she put it out. As she did, the drones grew weaker. The memories and signals she was seeing in these drones revolved around something, like some kind of sink. Korra had gotten some control over the energy within the drones. As if lifting an enormous weight, Korra pushed what energy she had captured into the sink, causing her eyes to be temporarily blinded. She lost consciousness and her balance. The drones tripped over the fire and fell to the ground, unable to get up. Korra, too, had fallen, but into the seat of Asami's car, passed out.

"What happened? Korra?" Asami yelled.

"She stood up and somehow stopped them. The drones are down. I didn't even see her do anything. She just stuck her hands out and the drones grew weaker until they died," Bolin said. He looked down at the unconscious Korra. "I think she did…something."

"She definitely did. She is the Avatar," Mako said. They saw the city. They needed a place to go or else the hand of Graft would quickly find them. "Look, I think there is a place we can go. We will be safe there, at least for a little while. It's a friend of mine who'd be willing to help us, and I think we could use him."

"As long as Korra will be able to rest there," Asami said.

"Yeah, she can. We don't leave anyone behind," Mako said. He knew he cared for Korra, but it wasn't like before. He didn't exaggerate her condition. It was weird to him, that he felt this way when his friend was lying unconscious, but it was a good feeling. Good because he cared about Korra. And that was all. Good because he just wanted her to be safe.

That was it.

He felt part of a team again, part of something important. Despite the severity of the situation, he was almost happy again.

Korra's eyes were slightly open. She looked at the sky, but she was not seeing this world. With some power she was not aware of, Korra was controlling the energy within the drones. The excess cosmic energy. It felt like something she was familiar with. It felt like bending.

Korra bent the energy and returned to its source, and the last thing she saw before she fell unconscious: the Spirit World.


	35. Tied Fates

-Tied Fates—

_Avatar… Avatar. Wake up._

Korra couldn't move. She heard voices, she felt a presence, but she could not speak, could not summon the energy to lift her legs. They were fixed in one place. She stared forward. The room she was in moved in and out like waves.

She could move her eyes. She looked up. Above her was a starry night sky, rich with twinkles of distant suns. Flowing across the celestial painting was cosmic energy. It looked like a stream of stardust. She must have been far from the city to see the stars shining this brightly.

Suddenly she could move. She looked around her. This wasn't the city. She was on grass. It was blue, and plants grew around her that looked like diamonds, glittering, reflecting the light of the stars. She was on a floating platform, the cosmic energy stream revolved around it. Korra stood and saw the opposite side of the platform. A statue rested on the edge, and someone stood before it. Korra ran toward the statue but stopped as the figure in front of it began to rise and turned to her.

"Korra," the figure said. As it spoke, it's voice sounded initially like Daya's, then gradually decreased in pitch to sound like a man. It sounded sinister. "You have failed. Your time has come, this whole world's time has come. It no longer deserves its existence." The environment slowly began to transform back into the room she was previously in. Her body becoming more and more paralyzed. The shadowed man continued to speak, "I will gladly take your place, and fulfill the destiny of the Avatar. To end the misery, the violence, the self-destruction. The destiny you have so foolishly refused."

Korra was lying down again. She was in a room of a house. The house was bleak and looked as if it was going to fall apart any second. The man remained before her. She couldn't see his face. He held up a sword, red with human blood.

"To establish my existence in this world, I must take the life of one of its living members. A member who would give _his_ life if it meant the salvation of mankind." He swung the blade in the air, and the blood spat across the room. He looked at Korra, his eyes shining green. "We will be in touch, Korra."

Korra stared in the man's direction long after he disappeared. She realized that she was not dreaming anymore. She was awake, in an actual house in the real world. The lights in the room flickered on and off periodically. She was confused, and sprang up when she heard footsteps.

A man rounded the corner, "What the hell is this…" he said, looking at the wall but Korra had gotten behind him and put a kitchen knife to his throat.

"Who are you? Where are my weapons?" she asked.

"Gah, right there, man,"he said, pointing at the ground. Korra's blades just laid there.

"Oh."

"Korra!" Asami said, coming from the basement.

"Asami? Where are we? Who is this guy?"

"Name is O-Ren," he pulled his hands from his throat to see if there was any blood. "Gee thanks for sparing my neck."

"Korra, we were able to escape from the drones but…well, you passed out. Mako knew of his friend, O-Ren, and said we'd be safe here. We ditched the car in the river and came here. It's far from the city so it should buy us some time. We can trust him."

"Yeah," O-Ren interrupted, "but what I want to know is where all that blood came from?" The three looked to where he was pointing. A line of blood splattered the wall. O-Ren continued, "It looks like someone in here got cut real bad. Did someone try to break in, Korra?"

Korra walked up to the blood. "Please, don't be…" she said to herself. It was fresh, still running down the wall. "No. It was just me here. This wasn't here before? Are you sure?"

"No, we were just here when we arrived." Korra eyed the blood. It took her a few seconds to realize the most probable source of it.

She turned quickly. "I think this is a sign from the spirits."

O-Ren and Asami just stared at her, confused.

"Please, I'm telling the truth. I was able to feel the energy inside those drones because there was so much of it, but when I tried to get rid of it, I somehow interfered with something. The Spirits...they're angry. With me. With everything. If we are going to calm them, we have to move fast."

"Well, then let's get back downstairs," Asami said. "We're finally planning infiltration of Graft's Headquarters."

l-l

The basement was a depressing and dimly-lit room occupied by the desperate Team Avatar. Every step down the stairs squeaked and seemed to jeopardize the structure of the building. Windows indicated to Korra that they were in the industrial district, an abandoned one, far from the metropolitan sectors of Republic City. The saw the lights of the city barely reaching the house they were operating in. The team was able to avoid the police by driving on the city's perimeter to get to this place. Around the dilapidated house they were in there were empty, old factories, boarded up homes, abandoned cars. Smoke rose from the sewers and water overflowed onto the street from the drains. No one had been to this district in years to clean it up. No one lived here except one person: O-Ren.

Paint peeled from the basement walls, pipes leaked, a few crates were set up as chairs, bottles laid in the corners, and the buzzing of the weak lamp was silenced by the sirens echoing in the distance as the Team planned their attack on Graft's Headquarters.

"Solomon Solutions," O-Ren corrected.

"What?" Lin asked, frustrated.

"You keep referring to it as just Graft. Graft's government or his regime. Graft's Headquarters. That 'S' that you've mentioned. Look closer at it. There are two S's, but they just look like one."

"So?"

"So," O-Ren said, elongating the word, "It stands for something. It stands for Solomon Solutions."

"What is that?"

"It's the name of the 'company'," O-Ren said, putting two fingers up one each hand to emphasize the quote, "that Graft runs. That's what he calls it."

"So what?" Lin asked. "Why does it even matter?"

"It does matter," O-Ren corrected. He walked over to the closet and opened it. "Because I have these." He grabbed two coat-hangers. Contained on these two hangers were black uniforms. "Two uniforms of Graft's henchmen. Came across them a couple days ago. They didn't realize I was a metalbender, heh."

"How is your metalbending going, O-Ren?" Lin asked.

O-Ren's smile disappeared. "Still hurts. Anyway, I figure these can help us get inside Graft's domain."

"You only have two, though," Bolin said. He was sweating with frustration. "What about the rest of us?"

"Hey man, you know how hard these were to get?" O-Ren yelled. It had been difficult.

"How _did _you get those?" Mako asked.

"Saw these two beating up some fiend. Or, I guess, Graft's experiments as you've been calling them. Anyway just wrapped some metal around my hands and took them out. You know something funny, they may be jacked up on other people's bending, but it's just something that was given to them. They don't_ always_ know how to use it."

Lin spoke, "So two of us need to wear them. As for everyone else, I suppose once we get inside, those without a uniform can act as prisoners. For a short while, just to get around security. If it can reduce how often we need to use physical combat, it will help."

"Yeah," O-Ren agreed. "That is good. We can have two of us act as guards taking in four people. That would work, and in that case, remember that it's Solomon Solutions. It's important that whoever is going to impersonate the guards knows who the hell they are working for."

"I don't need a uniform," Korra said. "I'll go on my own. I won't be seen. That way you'll only have three fake prisoners."

"Oh," O-Ren responded sarcastically, "too good for our plans? Guess you can just get around fine, then?"

"I can sense things around that most people can't," Korra said angrily.

"Being the avatar…"

"It's not because I'm the avatar. It's because I've been trained to understand the patterns in the energy flowing around me. It's trained me to be stealthy because I can anticipate things long before they happen. Trust me, I won't need a uniform."

"Fine, Korra," Lin interrupted. "We have to decide then who is wearing the uniform. Our prisoners can't bring too much attention. Those of us who are more notorious to Graft should be the ones wearing the disguise." Everyone immediately looked at Lin. "Fine, I'll wear one."

"Probably a good idea. I'm guessing they got eyes looking for you everywhere," Bolin said.

"What about the other one?" Asami asked. "Graft knows me. He made it his mission to put me out of business, but I don't think I'd cause a panic if I got captured by them."

"I can do it," Bolin said angrily. "I'll go right up to Graft's office and demand he give Sydney's life back to her."

Korra was about to ask who Sydney was, but saw Bolin on the verge of tears upon merely saying her name. Korra had been gone a while, and she was assuming, and hoping, that Bolin had finally found a girl. She wanted to ask if Graft had gotten his handprints over her, but she could tell from Bolin's face that he had.

"Bolin, I know you're upset about this," Lin began. "I hate to be the one to say but I think you should be one of the prisoner's as well. You are angry, but we have more of a chance this way. I know it's hard to hear, but no one at the station ever paid attention to you except me. They won't exactly go nuts if you've been captured. I think O-Ren should be the one alongside me in disguise."

"What? Why him?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, why me?"

"Because you can talk to people. I believe you can talk your way out of any situation. You are good at that, and I would know. You've almost convinced me of things several times when you worked for me, and I couldn't easily tell if you were lying even by listening to your heartbeat. Plus it will be like old times again." O-Ren shrugged. "Now that we have that in order, we have our main problem: how do we get in this place?"

"You said you thought it was the building that the police station faced," Mako inquired. "We could look there."

"Mako, my head is a bounty right now. We can't just roll through the front door of Graft's hideout…"

"It isn't 'Graft', Lin, it's 'Solomon Solutions'…," Lin cut O-Ren off by slapping him in the face.

"Shut up!"

Bolin walked forward. "We don't need to worry about that. We aren't going through the front door. Sydney told me how she escaped the first time. She used the sewer system. There is an underground network of tunnels, and one of them somehow goes directly underneath Solomon Solutions. There is probably some way to access the building from there."

"Unless they sealed it up," Asami added. "And if they chased Sydney out of there, they are probably going to have the area under surveillance."

"I'll take care of that," Korra said. "I'll be our radar for any of Graft's men scouting the area."

"No matter what disguise we have, we aren't trying to be seen. Keep it to a minimum. You are only our prisoners if we have been detected. It is our backup plan. If that fails, we just fight our way through," Lin clarified. Everyone nodded. "So, Bolin, you can find this sewer?"

"She told me where it is. We won't need to go through the city. It is right on the channel."

Lin looked around at everyone's face. They were gathered around a small table under the light of a dim lamp in the basement. It was quiet, the faint sound of police sirens in the distance, somewhere in the city that was slowly being overtaken by Graft's failed experiments. Lin explained that once Graft was taken care of, the city would need to be quarantined so that the government's poison didn't leak out into the outside world.

"So it seems that this is it," Lin spoke somberly. "Somehow, this city has fallen right into the hands of a man with no morals. Of a murderer. We are the only ones who see the darkness and have chosen to take action against him. To fight for what is right." She looked across the table. Korra stood there, her face veiled, a shadow casted over it. "We have our personal reasons as well. In a way that seems anomalous to me, Graft has reached his filthy hands into each of our lives. Personally, he has attacked each of us. Our fates have been tied. He has twisted us and broken us all, and for some, he has taken something from us that is irreplaceable."

Legacy. Identity. Sanity. Family. Love.

Korra had a feeling she knew what Lin was talking about. "Lin, is Tenzin okay?"

Lin looked down. "I have not heard from him. The possibility that Graft has had his men take Tenzin in is very real, and on this mission, I will validate it. I will find Tenzin, and no matter what, I will get him out. And I will bring him to his family. He does not deserve to suffer for what I have done."

Bolin's hand clenched into a fist. Mako looked at his brother, knowing that telling Bolin the horrible truth about the death of his parents now would only break his brother more. His brother who had finally found someone, only to lose them at the hand of Graft. What was Graft's hatred toward the two brothers?

Asami grabbed Bolin's hand, hoping to loosen the tightly bound fist. She had lost everything. She had lost her business, her home, her happiness. She had nothing left, and Graft had made sure of that. Why had he gotten so involved in her life as well? She now had nothing except the people surrounding her now. The only people left who would do something if Asami needed help. She looked at O-Ren, who was lighting a cigarette, who had his personal reasons against Graft, his mysterious ones, then she looked over to Korra, who was already watching Asami.

Lin's words were powerful to Korra, and the first person she thought to save was Asami. Korra needed to stay alive, to defeat Graft, to stop the unrest in the Spirit World. Graft had not directly touched her like he had somehow touched the rest. She was not a victim. In this fight, Graft had tied the fates of her team together. But he had not accounted for Korra. She chose to be here and fight. Graft had not directly done anything to her to draw her to him. Korra was not here out of personal anger against Graft. Graft was hardly a person to her. He was an embodiment. He was the monster in everyone's life. The shapeshifting nightmare that affected everyone differently. Finding the single fear and weakness of all of us, and stabbing them right in the heart. How? How did he know, just exactly how to strike these people? Is it coincidence that they were together that night, each of them having their own completely independent vengeances to fulfill against a single person?

And she realized: Graft embodied the qualities which prompted Daya to want to destroy the world. Was he the final straw…?

_Shhh…_

Korra heard the sound, but knew that no one else had. The young boy with the hood, the one similar to hers, the boy with the dark skin stood next to her and tugged at her. _You don't have to worry about her. She's left you. She won't bother you anymore. But…this is far from good news. You didn't listen to her, but listen to me. You have to endure the pain. You have to get through it, and it will be okay once we meet again._

"Korra?" Lin asked. Korra was confused and looked at her. "Do you know your role in all of this?" Lin was asking about Korra's role in the mission, but she began to think about her role as…as what?

No. Korra didn't know what her role was. She had no idea. She was not the Avatar. She lost sight of her goal in that single moment. Was it real? Were the spirits even planning anything? Just a dream?

_What is my role? What am I doing?_ Korra felt like a child left by her mother. Daya had abandoned her. Had she failed? Was she ever even doing the right thing?

Lin signaled for the team to move out. Korra remained. Asami came back for her.

"Korra, is everything okay?"

Korra's eyes were watering. "I'm…not sure."

"Don't worry, Graft's time has come. We can do this," Asami said, then hugged Korra tightly.

Korra felt warm in Asami's embrace. She wanted this forever. Beforehand, she was thinking of Graft, she was thinking of the stories of Ozai, of the corrupt government at Ba Sing Sei, of all the wars and deaths in the past. She hoped it wasn't too late for this race. And at that moment, in that single instance when she felt the warmth of Asami, Korra experienced something. A sensation that fueled her desire to save everything. She saw the goodness of the world. The value of this life, and the connections between everyone. The light that begins to glow when there is a loving connection between two people. If that can exist in this corrupted world, then it was worth saving.

If that existed anywhere, it existed here, in this room, in this hug, and Korra would continue to fight and give everything she had to save this world. And if the Spirits arrived with their armies to end all life, Korra would give her own life to save it. Like Lin, Korra would not let any innocent person suffer for the sins committed by another.


	36. Infiltration

**/* Hey guys. Again thanks for reading this far. These next two are the last two chapters of the book: Clasma. Hope you enjoy! */ **

-Infiltration—

The plan was laid out, step-by-step. Every scenario they could think of had been accounted for. The worst case outcomes factored in. O-Ren envisioned the operation in its entirety. He even indicated when they would probably get into trouble, and what would happen:

_First, we sneak through the sewers, like Bolin said. Korra is gonna do her magic thing and take out the sentinels, making sure they don't report back to the big man, Graft. So once we get to the sewers, we will head up through the maintenance plant and come up somewhere in the basements underneath Solomon Solutions._

_There we see the guards, and we put on our little act, saying that little Bolin had gathered a little tactical team to rescue his girl. Totally believable. If we need to, we can have Korra hiding in the shadows while we sweet talk the guards, and when things take too long Korra can just take them out with her swords. You say she is a quick girl so I want to see what she's got! Once we get to the main hall of the building we probably can't pull the prisoner trick any longer. That is when we got to step up our game. The guards will undoubtedly detect us. Not only do we got Korra to take out any snipers on the upper floors, we also got surprise: these guards don't realize they are dealing with the most deadliest and most angry members of Republic City. Asami's got her sharpshooting to help Korra take out the long-range shots, and she has her electric glove for close range. Mako can clear out groups of them with his firebending, and Bolin you can use the cinderblocks in the walls to do the same. Lin's has her beast swordfighting skills for close range, and she's gotten pretty damn good with her mechanical grappling hook so she can get around the place just fine._

_We do our best to make our way up. Graft probably sits on the top floors. Any of those drones show up, and Korra can do her cosmic energy tricks to take them out. I doubt Graft will be expecting that, or any of this. Then he is all ours._

Korra was wary to try to bend the energy within the drones again. Last time was not the most pleasant experience. She had gone ahead of the group and stood at the sewer tunnel that deposited into the channel. She felt nothing deep within the tunnel. No guards or any sign of life. The energy patterns flowing through her were calmed. Almost more than usual. She waited for her team, and they delved into the dark tunnels, the only light source coming from Mako's flame that he could barely keep. The injury he had sustained from the incident in the alley probably screwed up his firebending a little.

"Bolin, you sure you know where you are going? This tunnel is going forever and you tend to forget things," Mako said. They walked through the dark sewers, a smell of death sticking to the walls.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I know exactly how to get there, and I'll walk up to Graft and show him I'm not just some little kid. I'm not someone he can just push around. Not this Bolin. Not anymore."

Bolin's anger scared Mako. This was not his brother. The darkness in Republic City, it had warped him. Mako hoped that Bolin's mission was to save Sydney's life, not to get revenge on Graft.

Korra walked ahead in case she was wrong and there were scouts scanning the area. But there were none. Suddenly, a bright light flashed and lit the whole tunnel. Korra squinted as if a beam shined directly into her eyes. She thought it had been Mako blasting his fire, but in an instant, the light disappeared. She had seen the entire tunnel in the split-second it was illuminated.

"Did anyone else see that?" she asked. The others stopped abruptly.

"See what? It's so damn dark. You're basically our eyes and ears," O-Ren said.

They hadn't seen it? "It was bright for a second, wasn't it?" They exchanged glances of confusion and just referred to Mako's pathetic flame.

Korra shook it off, just a hallucination, but then it happened again. This time she saw the end of the tunnel. The tunnel stopped at metal bars. Next to these bars there was a platform. Korra swore she saw a silhouette standing on this platform. Everything became dark, but her eyes were hurt. It switched back to black almost as if it had never been lit. Korra did not know what was happening.

It happened one last time, and Korra thought she was going to pass out. It wasn't being lit; she was seeing through the darkness. Somehow her eyes were going into overdrive in brief spurts, reacting to an entity in the tunnel with her, and even in pitch black she could see everything. What stood at the end of the hallways was a person. The sensation remained a few seconds longer. It was a man. He stood in the water. He looked taller than a normal person, but that may have been Korra's mind playing tricks on her. She saw him rise and almost touch the ceiling. His long slender body with his arms hanging down and coiling on the ground. She heard his breath and the sploshing of the water as he moved. He looked unreal…

"I hear water flowing up ahead," Bolin said. "That must be the junction. Sydney said there is a platform with a door that leads to some waste-management room. It leads to a garage under the building."

Korra couldn't speak. Her voice was clenched by something. She tried to yell. The thing was still there. It had to be. And she was walking right at it. She could no longer see. She put her hands in front of her, shaking with fear as any moment they would come into contact with the monster she saw.

But she felt cold metal bars. She had reached the end.

"C'mon, Korra. It's this way. Let's hurry."

They walked through several machines filtering out the waste and up flights of stairs to find themselves in an old garage.

"I'd suit up if I were you guys," Mako said to O-Ren and Lin. They put their masks on. The garage was empty. The road had a section that was tiled, and did not look like a car had driven on it in forever. There weren't even any cars. The road led to a cinderblock wall.

"There isn't even a way out. How does anyone get into this garage?" Asami asked.

Korra began to hear sounds around her. People talking. There were doors lining the walls which were locked. They figured them to be maintenance rooms, but she realized what they were.

"These are prison cells. I can still hear people screaming. Their energy continues to flow through here."

"For goodness sakes, are any here now?" Lin screamed.

"No. They are all gone. All of them…" Korra was no longer speaking of only the prisoners. Bolin raced to each cell and looked in for Sydney, but there was no sign of life anywhere, and this pattern continued when they entered the actual facility itself.

"Let's do this, team," O-Ren said as he veiled his face. Read for battle. Ready to give everything he had.

They had the whole operation thought out. They walked through the doors into the main building.

They soon realized their sophisticated plan had lost its purpose. The facility was empty. Silence saturated the room. More silence than normal. Not even the hum of a radiator or the subtle sounds of the building moving. No footsteps. No voices. Abandoned.

They walked out into the main hall. The front door was sealed shut. A piece of metal crudely smeared across it. Papers on the front desk were scattered as if someone had just been there. No one was in sight. They stood in the main hall, confused, anticipating the surprise attack from the drones. They drew their weapons, except for Korra.

"There isn't anyone around us. It's barren," she said.

"This definitely isn't right," Lin said. At the center of this hall was this desk, and on either side of the room were two staircases. The ceiling of the main hall was above the third level. No one appeared to be here. The group ascended and found more evidence of some kind of struggle.

The sound of breathing was all that echoed off the walls.

At the top of the stairs, on a small table, there was a dead body. His hands had been folded around his chest. It was very formal looking. It was not like someone coldly murdered the man and left him to die. They made a nice presentation out of it. No blood. No evidence of a struggle. The man just lied there. His eyes closed. Peaceful. They approached the body and read the name.

Sen.

The team was unsure how to react to this sight. They reached an elevator. The doors were open, waiting for them.

"I feel very different about this. Has someone else beat us here? Is Graft even up there?" Mako said.

Bolin got angry, "Well, there is only one way to find out." He stepped into the elevator and waited. "Well you coming or not?"

Asami was confused. "This is such a huge building. Isn't weird that not one person is calling for the elevator? Does that mean everyone on every floor…"

"Look!" Bolin yelled, "I don't know what this is all about, but we aren't going to solve anything by just standing around talking. We go up and we face him. If he's not there we track him down. But he will be there."

"He is right," Korra said. She was sweating. "Graft is here. He is upstairs, but there is something else upstairs too. I can really feel it. What cosmic energy is being emitted from it, it's disrupting everything around it. I can't get a clear understanding of anything. It's completely interfering with everything."

"Well what's that mean?" O-Ren asked.

"It can mean a lot of things. It can mean someone so jacked up on Clasma, but…" Korra had felt this energy before. It was so powerful. She had never sensed it in the real world. She almost thought it belonged to a spirit.

"Well," Mako said. "I guess we are just going to have to see for ourselves. We are here after all." He walked to the elevator and joined Bolin. Korra looked up as the rest of the team followed.

_What is that?_

They shot up to the top floor of the building, sixty stories high. The elevator doors slid open and the team was staring into the glowing, red eyes of two drones. Team Avatar drew their weapons and ran for the drones but they were stopped instantly. Their bodies began to contort in ways they couldn't control. They unwillingly got to their knees and dropped their weapons.

"It's a new one I am testing!" A voice said. "Not too long ago we managed to excavate the bodies of Noatak and Tarlokk. Such powerful waterbenders they were, much more powerful than their father, Yakone. Oh but you know that," Graft said, pointing to Bolin. "You met _her_. She could barely even waterbend let alone bloodbend. Of course, I combined Yakone's Clasma with several others' Clasma hoping it would work. Not the greatest results from the Shiva Experiment. However, the Amon Project was a huge success. Just look at these two drones, they have gained control over you two with ease."

The team struggled against the powerful grip of the drone's bloodbending. The room they were in was an enormous lab. Around them were several chambers behind bulletproof glass. Two of these chambers contained Tenzin and Sydney.

Bolin struggled to speak, "You…argh, bastard! You…realize…what you are doing! You've taken away the life…"

"Don't push yourself, my boy. You're speaking to a man whose soul and sense of morality is too forgone. It is but the dust of grinded bones now, forever to be forgotten," he let out a psychotic laugh. "Where do I come up with these things?"

"Graft!" Lin yelled, "Your time is up! We, argh, we are here to stop you."

"Well you didn't really do a good job of that. You've failed before you've even reached me. But, it's not like I was surprised that you'd come here. In fact, you could say I've known for years now." He walked back and forth in front of them until he stopped in front of Asami.

"Wow, Asami. I knew it would happen, but still. The shock value is off the charts. You're actually here, the businesswomen gone bankrupt, come to claim her riches. By doing what, killing your competitor?"

"You're not a competitor, rrg, you're a tyrant."

"Hm, maybe to you, but imagine the monster this city will think you to be! Asami, the one who, in her darkest hour, lost her mind and sought to kill the man who put her out of business. The woman who is against freedom of the marketplace. Against fair competition, who will cross the boundary lines and even commit acts of terrorism to promote _Future Industries_."

"Future Industries is dead, you made…sure of that," Asami managed to say in grunts. "I'm not here for that. I'm here to…stop what you're…doing."

"Is that true? Or are you here for revenge? Are you all here for revenge? To gain your power back? Sure, you had your qualms with me since I've been here. Many people do, but _no one _in this city is willing to come down here and face me directly. You were not willing either until I took something from you, or you realized what I had already taken," Graft said, looking at Mako, then to Lin. He walked over to her. "You know, I have yet to find an airbender's Clasma to work with. I think Tenzin will do just fine."

"You will not lay a hand on _him!_" Lin yelled. Graft smiled.

"It is interesting what you can make a human do. It is interesting that you can carefully place just the right objects in front of a human and it will mold their mind a certain way. That I've made you come here believing you have some morally righteous cause when truly all you want is your own vengeance. However, I am not upset about this. I am thrilled! It means my whole experiment was a success. It means I am practically a god!"

"What…experiment?" Mako asked.

"You're here because I've brought you here! Have you wondered over these last few months how each of you has been personally affected by me in different ways? I've orchestrated these specific events to happen in order to coax each of you here, and it has nearly gone according to plan. I've laid out the obstacles in just the perfect way so that only you few people would be driven enough to come here and face me today. I've been planning this exact morning for years now, ever since the day my rogue experiment killed the parents of…you brothers," Graft said, looking to Bolin and Mako. Bolin looked confusingly at Mako, who was staring at the ground. "It was my first drone. All those years ago. My first human made into a powerful bending weapon. It went wrong. I refused to believe it was a failure. It could earthbend and firebend. It was a miraculous product. But somehow the concept of justice had become distorted to this drone. It acted somewhat autonomously, and by its twisted views of obedience to the law murdered the man who had yet to pay an overdue ticket. Your father died at the hands of this drone because it had no way to measure the degree to which a man was a criminal, and death was its only course of action. Maybe in a different life, I would be saddened by this mistake, like Solomon was, and quit, but that is not who I am. I knew what I was doing was important for society and I coulnd't let a small setback stop me."

"A _small setback!? argh_," Mako yelled angrily.

"Mako, in the grand scheme of things, the lives of two people meant nothing to me. I had an important mission, but I knew that there were people like you. That you wouldn't let that day out of your mind, and you would one day find out that it was I who was responsible for the assassin who killed your parents. I knew what kind of person you were. I knew that one single day would be the ultimate mistake setting a series of events into motion ending with you wanting my blood, and seeking to end my beautiful project. I knew that you and your friends would here. Here to kill me. And I knew I couldn't let this day come true. Not the way you intended it to go. I needed to prepare for it. I knew it was inevitable you found out, so I planned your entrance. I calculated every step and knew the time exactly that you would be stepping off that elevator. And I was right. I was able to perfectly manipulate the human mind to do exactly what I wanted it to and when as well. Since the day I made that mistake of releasing that rogue experiment, I've had to account for anything these two boys would do. I needed to control all of their acquaintances as well. Keep them in a controlled universe where I could throw in my variables and take what I needed to get the proper reaction. My first goal was to overtake the police and force Lin out of her role as leader. Instantiate the poor leader that is Qu, who would listen to my every word like a dog and treat Lin like she was nothing. Then I strangled Future Industries and stole the last thing that Asami held dear to her. I arranged the meeting with Steel and Bolin, indirectly, and I told Yakuza to blab everything to Lin when she refused to let him go to prison, that was through Sabo.. And the file on myself that I begged Chief Qu to keep unsecured, and the lead on Mount Ozai and Animal. Oh my sweet Animal, how perfectly you performed in this staged exercise. And even Sydney, who I allowed to escape and find Bolin, trying to herd her out of that specific tunnel where Bolin would be. Making sure the guards made it extra obvious she could escape and making it extra easy to do so. And Bolin, feeling lonely and desperate, would become attached to her in such a way that he'd be willing to risk his life here today to get her back. But I needed the rest of the group with him, so I sent my drones to be purposefully weak. To drive you out of the city to Asami then herd you back here like sheep. I'm just…that brilliant. I rolled out the red carpet for you by clearing my building of all the guards. I couldn't let their lives be endangered by you madmen. Since that horrible day I made that mistake, I realized Mako would be out there, trying to find out who was responsible for killing his parents, I have been arranging the ultimate obstacle course that would lead you all in one direction. If this doesn't prove that I can control everything, than I don't think anything else can. I have Clasma, I can return the ability to bend to people, create superhuman weapons, and now I see I can establish one's fate. Multiple fates. Tie them together and pull them towards me. Like a god. That's it. I've become a god! A man who has surpassed the limits of humanity and become something greater. The greatest of all entities. God-like. But in every universe, there is some randomness. Everything went according to my plan except…"

He walked toward the group. Korra and O-Ren were on their knees next to each other.

"Except for you two. The presence of the Avatar and…_you,"_ he looked at O-Ren. "I did not plan this. I did not see this, I'll admit. The arrival of Korra and him, that is something I can't explain.

"O-Ren. That is what you've been calling yourself, correct? Do you remember the name your real father gave you? Oh, you don't know your father? Of course you do. I saw you meet him…at least, I think that was you. The one who begins to get sick when he is around his own dad? That is a shame, but, you know, if someone doesn't want a son like you, there is really no better way than to make it so that this certain _son_ can't keep his mind in order whenever he is around his father. You have been feeling rather…ill since he's gotten here?"

"Agh…since who?" O-Ren asked. The only person he could think of was Graft. Was there someone else?

Graft looked away from O-Ren and at Korra, ignoring his question. "The world is like this sometimes. I can't control every variable. I do not consider their presence as a failure. No, I am much too proud to admit that, especially today, for you all have come on a special occasion. More of a demonstration really."

Graft walked over to Asami. "The girl who has nothing left. How sad. No mother, no father, no company, no home, no lover, no friends. I cannot stand here and let you live like that. Why not give you something to compensate? Why not help bring you out of this?"

Asami tried to resist him but the bloodbending was too powerful. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the group. He then looked at Bolin. "The misery of this planet, you all are. I'll help fix that. Shiva was a great disappointment. In her old life, she was a victim. Lightning Bolt Zolt, the filthy firebending psycho, came across poor, helpless Sydney and did horrible things. Do not restrict your imagination. His action are for worse than what you can conjure up. She tried to suppress her memories but I cannot imagine that to be completely possible. Such a horrible thing to live with. I could not think of a better test subject. I could get what I wanted from her and even feel like a good person for helping her escape her miserable life. My substance would be able to overwrite her painful memories with new ones. Maybe happier ones. I combined her energy with a power that I thought could make her forget. A Clasma so powerful she would never be afraid again of her memories of Zolt. No, they wouldn't be Yakone's memories, only his waterbending would become hers. I think that to be the exchange that she deserves. She receives happy memories from the other Clasma I gathered, and power over the man who abused her. I would hope she could find Zolt again, to pay him back, but, as you can see, it did not result as I wanted. Meeting you, she didn't become what I expected. Something halted the process and her old self seemed to return to her after spending time with you, Bolin. I don't know what you did, but I won't be needing her anymore, so you can have her. Instead, I will make this trade." He looked down at Asami.

"What a caring person. I will give back to you the failed test subject you so love in exchange for this one that no one seems to care about. Calm down, Asami, I am not going to punish you. Instead I shall reward you. Such a treat! You will be my test subject for my newest concoction. The newest Clasma. The Siren Experiment. Can you guess the secret ingredient? She was one of the best in history in my opinion. Ah, time is up. The Azula Clasma!" He drew a syringe from his pocket with a glowing green substance. The syringe was labeled "S". He plunged the needle into Asami's throat.

"No!" Korra yelled. She didn't realize what had just happened, but she could now sense the poison coursing through Asami's veins. Mangling her memories and rewriting her personality. The Clasma was strong, it was taking effect in a nasty way. Asami began to tremble and sweat. She grew pale. Her pupils greatly reduced in size.

Graft pulled her away from the group. He walked to a glass platform opposite the room. Korra grew angry. The team could see it. Korra's veins began to pulsate through her arms and in her face. Her hands shook. She was growling and breathing hard. Feeling began to return to the fingertips, and soon the arms. The drones were having trouble containing her.

Korra could feel them. She was sifting through the pool of Clasma contained in the drones, finding the sink. She bended the energy, all the sources of bloodbending, and forced it into this sink, back to the Spirit World. The drones suddenly could not longer bloodbend.

Korra was on her feet in a flash and was nearly upon Graft when a glass door slid in front of her, separating her from Graft and Asami. She tried to cut at the door with her blades. The glass actually began to crack. The team easily took down the weakened drones.

In two cells in Graft's lab, Tenzin and Sydney awaited. They were freed. Lin embraced Tenzin.

"Thank god you are alright. Did he take anything from you?"

"No," Tenzin said, "I can't thank you enough for saving me, Lin. I am undoubtedly grateful to you."

"It's time you got out of this city and get the hell back to your family, Tenzin."

Likewise, Sydney ran to Bolin, crying, hoping he wasn't mad that she had involuntarily been part of this plot to bring the group to Graft. Bolin was not angry.

Graft eyed Korra.

"My, we are angry aren't we? You know, I'm surprised, these glass doors are nearly unbreakable and your swords have managed to crack them. Impressive. Also, whatever you have done to the drones was impressive as well." Graft said. "What makes her so important to you? What does she mean to you that you would be able to summon that kind of power now? I wonder. What purpose do you even have for being here? I have done nothing to you."

"I'm here to save us."

"Save whom?"

"Everyone. And everything. From you."

"Why is it I who is putting all that in danger? You do not understand. No one does, which is why I've had to draw you all here to take you out. I can't have dissenters like you, those who cannot understand such a complex mission like this. A mission which will have a few casualties, why can't you accept that when it is all for a greater good!"

"What greater good!?" Korra yelled.

"Bending! I am this world's savior, the man turned into god, but you try and stop me. You fail to realize the society I am trying to bring. Just like Solomon, you are. He pronounced the experiment a failure because of a few deaths, but sacrifice is needed. I am bringing back to this society the key to the next generation. I am giving it what it demands more than anything. Control over the power to bend. The ability to decide who deserves to bend, who can be a bender. Allowing the masses to turn into what they want to be. A firebender. A waterbender. Pro-bending is allowable to everyone. Civilization can thrive again because I have returned to it its most important concept. I have made bending a reality again, and now, we have complete control over it. The light of the planet is ours again because of me."

"But that is not worth it. Your idea is so twisted. We do not place the importance of bending above all else. That is not our highest value in society…" or at least, it shouldn't be.

"My experiments prove you wrong, Avatar. My experiments have shown me that humans are willing to give up everything, even their sanities, for this kind of power."

"But you are one of those. You killed Solomon for power. You are not different!"

"No on in this world is different. Bending supersedes human relationships."

Korra didn't want to listen to him. She wanted to argue with him. But power. Bending. It all seemed to be what people valued. She couldn't admit that Graft was right. She looked at Asami from the other side of the glass door. She was losing her grip on her identity quickly. The process wasn't very pretty to watch. Her breathing and heartbeat were irregular. Korra couldn't bear to think of her. She was hoping Asami would not forget the way she felt for Korra. Korra started to panic. Grow anxious. Tears streamed down her face as she watched her object of affection quickly turn into a different person.

"I can see the change in your eyes," Graft said. "It would be my pleasure to let you go, but your existence is a threat to my mission. You see what you are dealing with, and now I must go. And Asami is coming with me." He turned behind him and walked toward stairs that led out of sight to his office. "Do not bother running. Sen is already on his way with an army of drones. They will be here within seconds. Try stopping them, Korra."

Korra realized strange about what Graft had said. Her team had now joined her at the glass door. Lin was the first to break the news to Graft.

"Sen is dead," Lin stated.

Graft turned to them, furious. "You've killed Sen? I told him to hide!"

"No…" Korra said, wondering why this was surprising to him, wondering if this was still part of his plan. "He was already dead when we arrived."

Graft looked shocked. He stared into space for a few seconds, losing track of his thoughts. He growled and continued upstairs bringing Asami with him. Korra tried to cut the glass down but it was an extremely strong material. She soon became tired and looked behind her to ready herself for whatever guards still lived in this building and would come at Graft's demand.

No one arrived. It was completely silent except for the faint footsteps from Graft. He was just up the stairs and down the hallway when he reached his office and the team heard a gasp in the distance.

Graft's voice echoed down the hallways and into the lab. "What is going on here? Who are…what? No. It is impossible. It can't be!"

Korra suddenly had the feeling overcome her again: she sensed the present of a vast amount of Clasma. But she knew it was not artificial. It was pure. It was the most she had ever felt. She could not possibly look into it. No other bender she had ever encountered contained a flow of cosmic energy like this. Not even herself.

"Stay back!" Graft yelled. It sounded horrifying. Whatever he was yelling at, he was truly scared. It wasn't a fake yell. Korra could feel his heart beating. "No! No! You cannot be here! It's impossible! AGhh!" suddenly she no longer felt his heart. Graft's last scream was also his last breath. It was a haunting scream. The team stood in horror as they waiting for something to come down the stairs. Korra was hoping it would be Asami.

The glass door slid open. Korra led the team up the stairs to Graft's office. When they enterd, Graft stood before them, watching them. Asami sat on the ground, appearing as if she had seen a ghost.


	37. The Avatars

-The Avatars-

"Asami…" Korra whispered.

"It's him," Asami said quietly, she repeated it again, her voice rising, "It's him. He's here now. He killed him!"

At that moment, Graft began to levitate. The gang saw that someone stood behind him and was holding him up in the air. The man who had murdered Graft moved Graft's corpse aside to reveal his pale white face and white hair. Graft was put on the ground.

The murderer cracked his neck several times, then looked at Korra and the gang.

"Hello," he said calmly, slyly smiling. Asami sounded like she was panicking. Sydney ran from Bolin to Asami, attempting to calm her. The murderer watched them, then bent down to fold Graft's hands over his chest. Just like Sen's.

"Oh," he spoke, "I am terribly sorry for your friend. As you can see, Graft will no longer be a problem to any of you. I've made sure of that. As for Asami, well, she will probably lose whatever memory of herself she ever had unless the Clasma he injected in her is drained. It is useless at this point, though. Now that I am here."

Lin stepped forward and drew her sword. "Who are you!"

"So quick for answers are we? I would have liked a thank you. You came here to do what I have just done for you, correct? Do you plan to arrest me? Because if so, then you would have to arrest yourself. Never mind. You can just think of me as your liberator."

Korra felt the strong wave of cosmic energy in this room. It surrounded this man.

The man wore a long white coat. The handle of a sword barely showed itself from within his coat. His bright white hair was slicked back. He looked down at Graft. "My poor friend. Lost in your quest for power, just like the rest of this world. I always asked myself how you fell to this level. But then I discovered that everyone is on that level. Everyone believes the same things as you. It was I who was different in believing that killing for the sake of advancing was wrong. I was the anomaly. I needed to die for, you see, someone like me who had morals cannot live in a world of corruption and violence, a world with people who would give up everything for their bending, for their power. You did belong, and I admit that. But this world is not yours. It does not belong to these people, no matter how much power they have. You've been reckoning with higher powers that have finally come to take back what is theirs." He looked up and Korra saw the green tint in his eyes.

"That is what mother has told us," he said to Korra. She suddenly recognized him.

"Solomon." She saw the scar across his face where he had been shot.

"In the flesh!"

"How is that possible? You were killed by Graft." Mako asked.

"That remains true. I was killed by my former friend. This poor lifeless body. My friend who one day sunk to the level of the rest of the human race and decided our friendship was not as important as his work. His work that threatened to throw everything off-balance. But that didn't matter to him, as long as he became the world's savior. The world's hero. A god. Graft was the sadly true embodiment of the evil present in this human race. Don't take it from me, though. When I died, I found myself in the Spirit World, and the corruption that goes on in this world directly affects the Spirit World as well. Normally it is not noticeable, but the discovery of Clasma has affected it worse than anything in history. Why this is: Clasma exists in everyone and is the connection of each person with the Spirit World. So when you mingle with it, you are directly contaminating the channel of energy between the physical world and the other world." Solomon's hands clenched. "I died drowned in hatred for my own friend who was beyond driven to the point where he would murder his own friend. He did not deserve happiness. I thought it was only him, but a spirit showed me it was all of humanity. Man is born and strives to achieve power no matter the cost. This is all that is important to them. They have forgotten the importance of life. The importance of human relationships, and they have lost their respect for the planet and the Spirits. Their own creators. A failed civilization. This Spirit reconstructed me, and has sent me back here, and so here I am: here to complete what you have failed to do."

Everyone looked at Korra. She knew what he was referring to, but she had never told anyone the dark destiny that Daya had set for her.

"That is right, Korra. You thought you could just ignore it? And nothing would happen, then? Our mother would just forget…well, as you can see you thought wrong. And clearly, killing Graft would have meant nothing to her. I did this out of my own enjoyment. It needed to be done. She allowed me to do this if I were to do her will. A simple act of revenge the man had coming, but what I have been sent here to do is not out of revenge at all. It is salvation. It is freedom from your misery. I am here to be the savior for the human race by ending your existence."

"You plan to do this yourself?" Tenzin asked. The group prepared themselves for battle.

"Not entirely. I am the ambassador for the Spirit World. You would call this being the Avatar. I guess I am the new one, since the old one has failed. My plan is already in effect. Once the Spirit World has transformed into its vessel, CHAOS, we can begin the revival of the SPORE. The Spirit World will swallow this world completely, ending your pitiful race. It will be fantastic!" he threw his hands in the air.

Korra took a few steps back as the group approached him. She was preoccupied by a grave mistake she may have made in ignoring Daya.

"Oh, but I insist," Solomon said, "Do all you can to stop me."

Lin and Tenzin were the first upon him. Lin slashed her sword while Tenzin tried to throw him off his feet with his airbending. Bolin yelled at Sydney to stay back, and he, O-Ren and Mako joined the fight. Bolin and O-Ren were able to use the cinderblock in the walls while Mako shot rounds of fireballs. Korra stayed back and watched in horror. Solomon barely had to move to avoid every attack. He managed to seamlessly dodge the blows of his five attackers all at once. His face never changed from the cool, sly smile. Lin tried to cut him down, but Solomon twisted her wrist around and hit her in the back, knocking her on the floor just as Mako shot a fireball. Solomon rose and the flame split in half and soared right past him, hitting Bolin. He fell to the ground. From Solomon's left, gusts of air came from Tenzin. Solomon put both hands to meet the gusts, and they were thrown off track and instead blew Mako off his feet and into the wall. Solomon kicked the ground and several cinderblocks flew from the wall and hit Tenzin off of his air wheel.

"What is it, Korra? Just going to let your friends have all the fun?" The five of them started to rise in order to attempt to attack Solomon again. "I think it is my turn, now. Maybe this will entice you."

Solomon stuck out his hands and the light in the room was drained. From his fists, two purple beams of energy shot out and hit both Bolin and Mako in the chest, sending them to the walls. The beams continued to emit from his hands, pinning the two brothers, they were purple and appeared to Korra like vines, zig-zagging as they made their general path to Solomon's target. They were directly disrupting the flow of cosmic energy in Mako and Bolin.

Lin tried to stop it. She attacked from behind him, but another vine-like energy beam emitted from Solomon's back and into Lin's chest, forcing her to the ground in pain. Out of his stomach, two beams implanted itself into Tenzin and O-Ren. The beams gave off a loud crunching sound as they mangled their victims. They yelled in pain as Solomon laughed.

"Stop!" Korra yelled. She drew her swords. The beams disappeared. The five lied on the floor in pain. They would live, their energy was slowly returning to them.

"Finally. Any longer and they'd be dead. We wouldn't want that would we?" Solomon said sarcastically.

Korra screamed and ran at Solomon. She slashed at him, trying to cut him up into little pieces, trying to undo what was happening. Her last hope to put an end to this. He avoided her blows in a very familiar way. She knew that she would miss each time she attacked. He was anticipating everything she would do. He could feel her.

"You know of this style do you not?" He asked as he dodged her. "He told me about you. About how you came here. You should've trained longer with him, maybe you'd stand a chance," Solomon grabbed both of Korra's arms so that the blades were both facing down. He pushed her arms to the ground which forced to swords to dig into the floor. Solomon kicked Korra's face and she fell on her back. "You know I could use my sword, too? But that would just be too easy."

Sydney rose to fight, but Korra stopped her, indicating that she needed to stay with Asami. Korra turned again to face Solomon.

"You know…Tomkin?" Korra asked, her nose bleeding.

"Tomkin is very well-known in the Spirit World. He is one of the few who truly understands the cosmic energy's messages. He even knew something serious was happening while you were training with him. That is why he continued to train you. His downfall was his belief that you could save earth. That you would be the one to prove that this world could survive. He was so misguided. I wanted to save him. I cared for him, so I allowed him to become part of the mission to save humanity by ending it. In order for me to exist here, I needed to take a human life. I thought about Graft, but why make Graft a martyr? Why take his life for the purpose of saving humanity? I would not let Graft have such an opportunity, but I respected Tomkin. I knew he had lost his way when he put his faith in you, so I decided to help him. Because of him, I am here, and now I can save this world. I killed your master, and even in his death, he would not admit that there was absolutely nothing you could do. So I will prove it. Since you are here, now, as I expected.

"Korra, there _is_ nothing you can do. I will succeed and you will not stop me. Instead, you will watch as the world you once loved diminishes. You will see the human race you've so passionately fought for and realize they are nothing more than what Graft was. Everyone is the same. Everyone is born in and tends to darkness. There is no point for such a race to continue that inevitably brings death."

"You're wrong," Korra uttered. "We are not all like that. You can't kill an entire population of people for the actions of a few."

"I wish that were true, but I have seen the corruption of your race. And it must end. I have a message for you, Avatar. From our dear mother. She has allowed you to live, in order to watch the world burn. But she has not said how close to death you may be. She did not mention that she wants you in full health. In that case, I have something for you, for you and all the Avatars before you who have failed to fulfill their roles." The purple energy beam extended from Solomon's fist into Korra's chest. He did not push her to the wall. He lifted her up before him.

She struggled against the power of the beam. Her insides became boiling hot as he disrupted her flow of chi. Then Solomon pulled his hand back and Korra was pulled toward him quickly. In Solomon's other hand, a purple glow surrounded his fist. It was pure cosmic energy compacted into a ball. He pulled Korra up to him and punched her with his energy-infused hand, slamming her into the ground. She felt the crunch of several bones breaking from the blow.

"Oh we've just gotten started." He continued to repeat this. With his energy beam like a lasso, he pulled Korra to him then blasted her with his energy fists. Korra had never felt such pain. Her friends, unable to move, watched in horror as Korra was brutally beaten. The sounds of blows echoed the crunching sound of bone. Her arms became twisted backwards and she felt her face swell up in bruises and bones becoming misplaced. Somehow, she knew this would happen. She knew she would be here, subjected to this pain.

Out of the one eye that Korra could still use, she saw Solomon's face. He pulled her toward him but did not hit her. He smiled. Her vision was blurry and gradually getting worse. "I hope the Avatars before you felt that one, Korra." Solomon let go and she fell to the ground. Landing on her back put in her in extreme pain as bones were split and pointing in all directions some impaling her organs. The pain made her mouth fill with blood and she started to pass out. Solomon grabbed her shirt and dragged her across the room.

"I'd recommend you all to leave, but it will mean nothing. For you see, there is nothing you can do. Once she is put away, you all simply will have to wait for your absolution."

Korra's eyes took one final picture before shutting down as she passed out. She saw Asami. Asami's scared, helpless face as the Clasma slowly overtook the woman that Korra had started to develop feelings for.

_If she was ever in trouble, Korra would give her life to save her._

_The lives of the innocent do not deserve to suffer for the acts of others._

Korra felt herself transported. She knew she wasn't in the physical world anymore. She felt water on her feet. She was laying against a cold surface. She didn' know where. She couldn't see. Her face had swollen over her eyes. Her foot was twisted backwards, as were her arms. She didn't dare move them. The water rose and fell.

A tear managed to form on her face. The world was in his hands now. She had failed.

The Avatar had fallen at the hands of the new one.


	38. Marooned

**/* Update: I have switched the order of the books, if you go back and look you will see that. The Prologue section is now the first part of Book 2: Spirits. Then the last Book, Clasma, was book 3. Now we continue with Book 2: Spirits. It is a nonlinear order of going through the books, BUT THE STORY IS STILL LINEAR. I am picking up where I left off, it is just that the book which defines this section will be related to the things Korra is learning about.**

**The way this works is that Book 2 started in the Prologue during Korra's training. She left her training to go to Republic City (Beginning the Clasma Book) and Book 2 was interrupted, but now we return to Book 2 after that book ended. So she is continuing with this book now (in terms of what she is learning, not in terms of the timeline of the story.*/ **

**Book 2: Spirits (Cont.)  
**

-Marooned-

Pain.

That was the only thing on Korra's mind. Every inch she moved sent pulses of it. She focused as hard as she could to move her eyes, to get an idea of where she was. She had not one.

She felt the water. It was cold. Lifeless. It scared her. It seemed infinite to her, no bottom to this mysterious sea. Lasting forever until you fell in so deep you wouldn't know which way was up. Which way was down. Disoriented to the point where you just wish you were dead. Sinking forever.

_Just don't fall in, then. You have enough strength to hold on to this rock. But it hurts. I'm not even sure my fingers are straight._

They weren't. Not all of them. She had slammed into the beautiful tile floors of Graft's office about a dozen times, most of them landing in the worst of ways because of the way her body contorted from Solomon's energy beams.

Korra tried to move her left arm, but her bones weren't connected correctly anymore.

_Guh, this hurts so bad._

With her upper body, Korra slithered up the rock she was planted on. She couldn't move her neck around for fear of it breaking and killing her. She didn't want to move her limbs. They didn't seem to be responding. She didn't know what was around her. She heard nothing but the gentle sound of the waters brushing up against rocks.

_Where the…agh…hell did he take me? _She couldn't feel the water anymore as she made her way up the rock. There were strange patterns carved into it. Glyphs. Korra didn't understand. She could barely think. The movement made her sick. She thought she was going to throw up. Her vision was failing her again.

Korra stopped and breathed heavily. Pain shot up her right arm. She tried to move it. It wasn't broken, thankfully, but it hurt. She had trouble moving it toward her face. Some damage to her nervous system she imagined from being knocked onto her back so much and bones were everywhere. But the pain was from something else. Something was lodged into her right arm. Something sharp. It glowed a strange greenish-blue…

_Clasma. Oh no._

Suddenly, she felt it. The foreign substance flowing through her, unnatural to her. Korra's body tried to reject it, to push it out, but it was strong. She wasn't sure what was going to happen. Would she lose her mind? Would she become someone else?

_Will this…heal me…like it did for Steel?_

Korra had barely been able to move her arms a few minutes ago, but now she could. At least a little. And only the one that wasn't badly hurt. She pulled herself up the rock and got a glimpse of what was around her. It was gray and foggy. She was in the middle of a body of water as far as she could tell. There was nothing around her. She didn't understand what was supporting this rock. She tried to look downward, but she saw the bottomless sea that she had expected. A column held up the rock, and it stretched down infinitely into the abyss. It looked like part of some structure.

_Jeez, Korra. What have I gotten myself into? It's so…_

"Gahhh!" Korra screamed. Everything hurt.

_It's so cold here. This water keeps touching my feet. It's so calm. There are no waves or anything. _

Korra thought about Solomon. His demonic face, veins ready to burst out. His green eyes because of his influence of Daya. He had shiny white hair slicked back. She remembered his devious smile. No, it was evil. How could a man who spoke about "saving the human race" have such an evil smile? She knew that he truly believed what he was doing was the right thing. Then why did he look so evil doing it? Was the evil thing the right thing? Korra didn't quite know what evil was to the Spirits.

She had always thought the human race was good. But then Daya told her it was evil. At the same time, Solomon looked so evil doing Daya's will. This didn't make much sense to her.

_Stop confusing yourself, Korra. Just think about what you know. What you truly know. The human race is good. Maybe I'm the only one who can see it. I can't listen to Graft. I can't listen to Solomon. I have to follow my own beliefs. Think about your parents. Think about Lin and Mako and Bolin and Tenzin. Think about your Uncle and Ahna and Akna. Think about Asami._

_Asami_

_Asami was poisoned by the Clasma. She was back in Republic City, losing her mind, and I failed to do what I had promised her. If there is any reason to save this race, make it her. If you ever forget why you're doing this, why you're trying to save this race, whenever you're confused about what is good or evil, just think about Asami. _

Korra nudged up the rock a little more. What was she going to do? Her boots were finally out of the water, at least there was that. Her hair fell in her face and got in her eyes.

_Dammit. How am I going to move this?_ _Okay, just slowly then._ Korra could feel the crystal-like Clasma stones in her arm. She gently inched her arm to her face, and with a combination of blowing out of her mouth and moving her hair with her fingers, she could see over the rock. But there was nothing to see. It was a wasteland on water. Gray skies swirled around the surface. Rocks similar to the one Korra was on scattered everywhere. In the distance she saw what appeared to be a larger rock. Like a platform. What if she tried to get there? Would something be waiting for her?

_Can I even swim?_

She couldn't. She couldn't move beyond this point. Maybe the Clasma wasn't doing anything. Her legs didn't work right now. Maybe they were paralyzed. Or just so bent backward that she wouldn't be able to tell what she was moving. If she was in the water, she would just sink. Nothing would work the way she wanted. She would never escape from this limbo place she was in. She wouldn't even escape from this rock. Beyond it was desolation. There was nowhere to even escape to.

She would just die here. Marooned. Alone. Forgotten. Maybe she deserved this.

_Maybe I'm never going to be a legend like the ones before me. Maybe I was never supposed to do anything. _

_The Legend of Me: The Avatar who just watched the world burn._

_It was all a total waste._

"Pitying yourself again, Korra?"


	39. The Wastelands

**/* Okay, this part of the story might get complicated. I ****_am_**** trying to explain my theory on the Spirit World, Avatar, and the spirits in this chapter and the succeeding ones, so it might be a little difficult to understand at first. But maybe not. I tried to explain it the best I could, and as the plot continues it will all make sense :)**

**Your reviews are awesome. They keep me writing (hopefully well lol), but my updates may be less frequent, being in my last semester of college and all.*/**

-The Wastelands—

Korra's eyes widened. She had been lying on this rock for hours now. She occasionally thought she heard the water splashing as if someone was walking through it. She concluded it was just her imagination, but now she was hearing both splashing and talking. She was hungry, she was in pain, lost and disoriented. She was hallucinating or something.

But still, Korra felt something coming toward her.

She wanted to run from it. She tried desperately to move up the rock. The splashing behind her became louder, like something was running toward her. She couldn't turn her head to look.

Guh, no, can't go in the water. But then what?

"Just going to give up like that?" she heard. The voice sounded right next to her. It was a man. She tried to move still, but the pain was too much, and she passed out as she felt someone grab the back of her shirt and lift her up.

When she awoke, Korra was in a harness, her torso suspended from the ground, her legs lying on the ground which was the large platform she had seen from a distance. On this platform, several pillars still managed to stand. It looked like a ruined temple. From the tops of these pillars her harness was tied. She wondered how it got there. In her line of sight, a boy with dark skin and a hood covering his face popped into frame.

"…You," Korra managed to say.

"Shh, don't strain yourself. You are in a severe condition. Solomon did you in pretty well. Your back is broken, but it is healing, and this harness will help. We've removed the crystals from your arm, too, but the contents still run through your veins."

"Then, am I hallucinating this?"

"No. This is not a vision. Although, we cannot say what will happen in the future after you've been exposed to the Clasma for long."

"We?"

"Shoogar," said a voice out of Korra's line of sight, "how is she doing?"

The boy, Shoogar, went to the source of this voice. "Looks good to me, sir. The Clasma seems to be healing her. What will happen to her memories, though?"

"Do not worry, she will keep them. Before it is too late, she will be able to rid herself of the poison. First we must wait for it to catalyze the healing process, then we teach her to drain."

Korra heard steps coming toward her from a larger man. He walked in front of her. Her vision blurred then brought into focus the old man's face. At first she thought it was Tarlokk, but he was older, his hair was whiter.

"Rest now, Korra."

The man was Tomkin.

l-l

Korra was feeling better. There were no days in this place. It was always lit, always gray. Time escaped her, as it always seemed to do when she was around Tomkin. When she was able to rotate her head, she looked around at her surroundings. Just a circular platform, steps around it leading into the deep water, isolated pillars in the sea surrounding the platform. They actually did stretch into the infinite ocean. She looked down into it. The water was gray, but she could see, and it went forever.

The strange thing was that she never saw Tomkin around. It was like he disappeared for a long time, then the fog materialized to make his body. He would appear out of nowhere. Out of nothing.

Korra was looking into the ocean, suspended on her harness still, when she heard his voice, "The Spirit World."

She turned her head.

"You are wondering what lies deep within the ocean? Well ,it should be the Spirit World, but it is not really there anymore, that is why it is just abyss. An infinite void. The Spirit World is moving. Out of instability, it has transformed. Where we are is all that is left of it. How are you feeling?"

Korra didn't know how to answer. It was Tomkin, sure, and she knew and loved him, but him being here in this place made everything seem…not right. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, but then again he had been her caretaker while she was here. Her back felt significantly better. She could move her limbs.

"Good," he said. She hadn't even answered him, but he began to cut her down from the harness. She dropped to the ground and several stabs of pain shot through her. "Oh, sorry about that, it is still going to hurt. You probably are not 100% better, but we don't really have much time. We need to get started." He took the harness and walked across the platform.

Korra tried to stand up straight. She did it quickly to shorten the amount of time she would feel pain. Her legs wobbled. It hurt, but she knew it was much less of a pain than when she first arrived here. "Ow. Are you sure I'll be okay?"

"You'll survive. If you don't resume now you might completely lose everything."

"Resume what?"

Tomkin walked back to her and smiled, "Your training. You see, it wasn't until recently that I came across an enormous amount of knowledge. More knowledge about the Spirit World. About the cosmic energy and about the spirits themselves. I know what has been haunting you all this time. It is more serious than I thought. I had felt it, too, when you were training with me. Agitation in the Spirit World just from the Cosmic Energy. I knew there was trouble in Republic City, and I believed you could stop it. This situation, however, involves much more than just that. What was placed upon you was a truly dark destiny that has been the fate of this world. But one thing has not changed, Korra, and that is that I believe you can end this cycle."

Korra didn't know what Tomkin was saying. He was explaining so much, as usual, and didn't realize that someone not as experienced like Korra needed to spend time understanding these things. She wanted to start small.

"Uncle, I cannot stop anything! I have failed. I don't even know where we are!"

"You have not failed, Korra! You are alive and you are safe."

"But I don't even know where I am. Where are we, Tomkin? How did you get here?"

Tomkin breathed deeply. "I guess we will start there. I will need you to calm down, Korra. The things I am about to tell you are very sensitive. The past has a way of catching up to the present and potentially destroying the future."

Korra slowly sat on the ground carefully so as not to aggravate her still injured body. She was sweating. A cool breeze came from the ocean and was picking up gradually into a slight wind. Tomkin looked over the sea with dread. The he returned to Korra.

He spoke. "Korra, where we are now is a remnant left behind by the moving Spirit World. This place is called the Wastelands. It is gray, bleak, ruined. The water you see around you is what remains of the Sea of Souls. I say 'remains' because it is now just the Infinitas—an infinite, lifeless sea. No vitality in it at all. It is difficult to explain, but the Wastelands are impossible to get to except under very specific circumstances."

"Then how are we here?" Korra asked.

"We are here because the Spirit World does not exist anymore the way it usually does. The Spirit World is a dimension of boundless cosmic energy. The Spirits that created this world have a source of cosmic energy called the Sea of Souls. When we die, our souls return to this sea in the Spirit World. It is the energy of the Spirit World. It is cosmic energy. But, things have been changing. I don't expect you to understand this right away, but the Spirit World has changed form. It has extracted all the energy from the sea of souls, collected all the Spirits, and has encased itself in a vessel that is moving. Think of someone reaching a hand and picking out all of the significant content in the Spirit World, putting it in an envelope, and sending it off. What you see around you is the by-product of this process. The content left behind after the picking—the part of the Spirit World left behind after its transformation. The energy from the Sea of Souls is in this vessel—this envelope- and so the water around us is lifeless. It is the 'Infinitas' because since the Spirit World no longer exists, the water is bottomless. Usually the Spirit World would surround us right now, but that world has changed form into a moving vessel, and several of its more rebellious members like myself have fallen out of that world and into this remnant one. We are on the brink of the physical dimension and the Spiritual one. Solomon planned to take you to a prison within the altered Spirit World, but I intercepted you, and brought you here, and implanted those crystals within your arm."

Korra looked at her arm. There were marks where the Clasma-filled crystals stuck out. They were gone now, but she knew the Clasma was still inside her. "You? You put that in me? Do you know how dangerous that is!? I can die!"

"I know, Korra. I didn't want to, but it was the only way. Clasma is a product of the Spirit World that is used to contain the energy of people. Within people cosmic energy flows in different ways, and certain patterns can form a connection between its host and the Spirit World. When humans die, their energy flows into the Sea of Souls in the Spirit World. Everyone is connected to the Spirit World, but not everyone can use its power while they are alive. Several people have more direct connections to the Sea of Souls depending on their cosmic energy patterns while they live, and these people are called benders. The Clasma of benders is embedded with a certain connection to the entities in the Spirit World that allow people to hone god-like abilities. I will get to that soon, but what is important is that this can also mean Clasma can contain healing abilities, like the ones I implanted into you, given its connection to the Spirit World. As you can see, you have healed much faster than you would have without them. Yes, you will most likely experience the same side effects as every other human. Your body will conflict with the influx of foreign chi. But that is why I am here, to train you to perform a method called 'Draining' so that you may rid yourself of the substance and, perhaps, others as well. It is an intense experience. You will need all of your concentration to do it, and it will sever certain connections to the Spirit World, and if done correctly, it will filter out everything but you and only you."

"Sever my connection? Is that what Amon did?"

"Amon's method of severing one's connection to the Spirit World was similar and used waterbending which had the desired consequence of removing one's bending, but in essence its idea is the same. Amon's bloodbending agitated blood flow and if the chi in the blood oscillates at a certain freq…you know, it's not important. All you need to know is that Amon took away your bending through a loophole in the human body. You will do the same except you are interacting with energy directly, unlike his indirect waterbending method. It is something you are able to do, Korra. One can only stop certain patterns in a human body, they cannot create them. Ergo, you will not be able to obtain the ability to bend on your own. It doesn't matter, though. All that is important is that you can rid yourself and others of foreign Clasma. Are you getting any of this, Korra?"

Korra looked confused, but was slowly starting to understand what Tomkin was saying. "Yeah, I think so. You tried to save me with this," she looked at her arm, "and now I have to learn how to get rid of it. So that I can eject the energy of the person this Clasma belongs to, and I can return to the physical world and…do what?"

"After you learn the technique of draining yourself of foreign Clasma, there are things that I need to explain to you about your origins. This will prove to be the most important part of your training, Korra. In order to know what you must do, you must know where you came from. I will stress that as much as I can. But first, we must learn draining.

"Tomkin, how did you suddenly learn all of this?"

"I died, and I visited the Spirit World for myself. And I learned everything."

Korra suddenly remembered that Solomon admitted to killing Tomkin. The act which allowed Solomon to become a physical being in exchange for Tomkin's existence.

"But, your children…"

"Ahna and Akna will be okay. I made sure of that. Naga proved to be a great guardian, and is currently taking them away. I knew the day Solomon came that I would die. I didn't want to spend my time running. Naga is taking the girls somewhere safe." Tomkin smiled.

"I hope she does. Why…why did you have to die?"

"Solomon was a student of mine for a very short time when he was alive. At one point, he asked if any nonbender could learn to bend an element. He told me he once was a researcher looking to make that possibility a reality. I told him he was a fool for seeking such a thing. It was a waste of time, not only because it was impossible, but because it was meaningless. My teachings bring one at peace with the earth. Understand the earth. My teachings are to be passed down so that when the world was threatened like it is now, there would be those who would know how to save it. I thought he only wanted power, so I turned him away. Now I see what he truly is. He was haunted by the things Graft did, and tried to stop it. At the time of his death, he wasn't a bad person like I had thought, but he died in hatred, and swore he would get his revenge. He shares the same outlook as the rest of the Spirit World in that the human race must end, and in taking my life he was able to return. I told him, even as I was dying, that I had not given up the possibility that someone could stop all of this. This time, the Spirits would not succeed in ending the physical world."


	40. Draining

-Draining—

Mist rested on the surface of the sea. Above her was gray and foggy similar to Pratt Street in that there was not a clear separation from the sky. Its arms reached down and meshed together.

There was no sun. There was no night or day. This place was devoid of both life and death. The Wastelands. That meant that she wasn't dead. Somehow, there was a way back to the physical world. She could continue on to her death, abandon the physical world and fall into the endless Infinitas. But she wouldn't. She would find a way to return, and Tomkin would be the one to show her.

"Draining, Korra. Draining is the power to suppress the chi in one's body. 'Chi' actually means the pattern in which cosmic energy flows in us. We all contain a collection of cosmic energy inherent to us, but we cannot all manipulate it, as not everyone's cosmic energy forms the right connection to the Spirit World. The Spirit World dictates these chi patterns, this collection of energy, in humans, and very specific patterns correspond to certain direct connections to powerful entities in the Spirit World who can manipulate the energy, and the result of these specific connections is control of one of the four elements. I know it is complicated. The more granular details do not matter so I will explain it as best as I can. Since Chi is within all humans, we are all connected to the Spirit World and to each other, it flows back and forth between the physical world and the Spiritual world, so that when we die, our inherent Cosmic Energy will flow back to the Spirit World, along with our memories and identity. Okay? Is that all clear? Additionally, these collections of energy, the ones in all people, carry the memories and personality traits from its host. It creates the balanced harmony between the Spirit World and the physical world. It is essentially our soul. That is why Clasma contains these traces of its previous hosts.

"I say again: certain flows allow select people to harness god-like abilities a.k.a. bending by directly connecting them with certain entities within the Spirit World. The manipulation of the four elements was a way the Spirit World allowed humans to indirectly use their chi to control water, air, fire, and earth- to inherit superhuman abilities from the nearly boundless source of cosmic energy that is the Spirit World. Spirits are all-powerful beings that use the Sea of Souls as their energy source, and they have shared their abilities onto these select benders. Only benders are directly connected to these Spirits. It is crucial that you understand this. We all have souls, but we all do not have these connections. Benders do not interact with the cosmic energy itself, actually. We can learn to understand it, like myself, and use some forms of bending to exploit it, like Amon err Noatak, but only you can manipulate pure, raw energy, in the form of draining, because you are the Avatar.

"There is a system in place when it comes to the benders' connection to Spiritual entities that allow them to bend—the abilities of these entities to manipulate cosmic energy is endowed on benders but the connection itself is rather complicated-but I will get to that later. For now, we focus on Draining. Chi can be manipulated and even suppressed by Spirits and by the Avatar. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred, and draining severs the transfer of cosmic energy from the physical world—the human—to the Spirit World, by returning the cosmic energy to the Spirit World. You have done it. To simplify it, think of this chi as water revolving within people in a certain way, revolving around like a sink above a clogged drain that allows two ways of travel. You can suppress this chi and force it back to the Spirit World, then sever the connection for that specific chi so it cannot flow back. In nature, these energy patterns flow to and from the physical world to the Spirit World via these "drains", but closing off a drain ends this connection. Draining involves these two things: forcing all the undesired cosmic energy into the drains, then blocking its reverse flow back into the physical world from the Spirit World. I understand it is complicated, but it will not matter if you perform it, which you already may have done.

"As you know, there are many people now who have foreign clasma-other people's chi-within them, disrupting their internal connection to the Spirit World, allowing different connections to form and disrupting their identity and memories as new ones are flowing in. To save them, you will have to drain the foreign Clasma. Once you have detected a person's flow of energy within them, you must find their original Clasma—the chi that is inherent to that person alone-and filter out all other Clasma by draining. You will know when you find the Clasma which originally belonged to each person as it will be the most significant content within the chi, the strongest pattern. If you are wrong, and you drain the inherent Clasma, that person's true identity will be lost. You are not just dealing with Cosmic energy, you are dealing with souls, and you must drain the right part.

"Aang was able to do this. It was how he defeated Firelord Ozai. The difference was that Ozai did not have foreign Clasma, which made it easier for Aang to detect his firebending, his direct connection to a spiritual entity, within the Chi, and sever it. I am telling you, Korra: once you do it, it will make sense to you. And it is important that you do. I think you know why."

Korra had trouble understanding the topic from Tomkins explanation, but she knew what she had to do because she had done it.

_Okay, all people have cosmic energy, and it flows to and from the Spirit World, but only benders' chi is connected to an entity that allows them to bend. And bending can be suppressed without suppressing the soul within someone that contains their identity—I guess their identity has nothing to do with whether they can bend or not._

_People are…not defined by their bending…_

She had drained the cosmic energy in the drones. She would know it when it happened. But to do it for everyone…their level of foreign chi would be lower than the drones. It would be more difficult to detect, to save them, to save her, so Korra practiced. Every second, she was meditating, concentrating, practicing on the only person in the in-between world, for not only did Tomkin teach her these things to save the humans, he taught her so she could save herself. As she learned from him, the foreign cosmic energy was flowing through her as well. She needed to drain herself.

From what Korra understood, she needed to feel the energy patterns within her. She would have to grasp it, and find the most significant pattern, for that was the one which originally belonged to her. She could not create the energy she once had, her bending, but once she grasped her original chi patterns, she could filter it out by draining any patterns that remained outside of her grasp. Once it was drained to the Spirit World, she would have to prevent its ability to return to her.

_Man, this cosmic energy stuff is so complex, she thought. Maybe it isn't important to understand it. Maybe Tomkin is right—once I do it for myself, it will come easily after that._

Korra could feel the energy swirling in her. She knew she could grasp it, but she was getting distracted. Something kept breaking her concentration. Headaches. Dizziness. Her surroundings became brighter. More radiant. There was snow. It was blinding.

_Snow. The South Pole_.

It was the South Pole. She saw it. Was she hungry or something? Hallucinating? The headaches made her lightheaded, she was sure she saw the South Pole, but the image was blurry, distorted, somewhat transparent as if the scene had been overlaid on top of her current surroundings. It was a village much smaller than the one in which she was born. The Southern Water Tribe. She knew it was them. A figure formed out of the air before her. It was a tall man, transparent, ghostly. He was evil. Korra was suddenly filled with fear, fear as if she had always been scared of this man, scared but also angry. She hated him and wanted him dead. He walked through the village like a giant amongst the other humans who cowered in fear underneath his foot. He walked up to a house and stopped, and Korra's fear overtook her anger. She knew the man was here to kill, and she knew her mother was in that house. The man's hands turned to snakes and fell to the ground, several slithering toward Korra, but the bulk of them going into her mother's house.

No! Stop! Mother! But the snakes wrapped around her leg. She struggled to break free, and thought that soon she would feel the pressure of the snakes around her neck choking her, but the scene began to change.

That man's face stayed with her as she was pulled from the South Pole. She found herself underwater. But she was not wet—the water flowed around her all without touching her. The water expanded and created a new environment. It was fuzzy, but what lied before her was a dead body. The body of a boy.

Just as Korra was filled with fear and anger at the man she previously saw, now she was filled with horror, with sadness, with intense emotions that she was sure were not hers. They were injected into her, but she felt as if they belonged to her. She knew this boy. She loved him. She could not go on if he was not alive.

Korra grabbed her head.

_Focus_

She felt the energy within her, but she was struggling to maintain her concentration. She felt the junctions and directions within her chi. Somehow she would have to find her own, but the effects were disrupting her. The foreign chi was fighting for control of her body.

She saw the boy again. Alive. He spoke. Behind him stood the man. The evil, tall man who had turned into snakes and done the horrible thing that had made Korra scared but also angry. Korra wanted revenge, but the boy told her no. He told her to let it go. To forgive.

"I can't forgive this man," Korra said. The boy looked saddened. The evil man smiled slyly. Korra yelled and walked through the ghostly vision of the boy and toward the man. She was in a field. A meadow. The mist over the water had become a layer of grass. A blurry layer. His body was also blurred and not well reconstructed in this memory, but his face was extremely clear. She saw every detail of it. Especially the eyes. She knew those eyes. She would know them forever. And these were them. There was no turning back.

She could almost feel rain. Korra drew her sword. She prepared to kill him. She was ready. She had never wanted to kill anyone until this man had reappeared in her life. The man she so hated. The man who killed her mother. Korra began to cry as she remembered what this horrible man did to her family. Killing her mother. Driving her father away. Forcing her to try and save a slowly deteriorating tribe as the last waterbender. She saw him in her house as a child, holding her mother, asking her who the last waterbender was in the village.

_She lied to you. She was protecting the last waterbender._

_What? Who?_

_Me!_

Korra grasped her swords and leaped at the man, but as she was just inches from his face, she saw the fear. The cowardice. The hopelessness. The man who had nothing left. And she knew that the boy was right, she couldn't take his life. It would mean nothing, and it would be nothing more than a murder, just like what he did to her mother.

But Korra tried to remember her mother, and she saw a woman clearly. A beautiful, kind woman from the Water Tribe. It was the first person to come to her when she tried to summon the memory of her mother. She knew it was her mother based on her face, based on her memories. She saw the kindness, the familiarity, the love…but it didn't feel like her. Her love didn't feel real to her. It wasn't directed at Korra. Her motherly love was for someone else. Korra was sure that even though this woman populated all of her memories as her mother, Korra was not the recipient of this woman's love.

But there was another face. Another mother as well deep in Korra's memories. Every memory that now filled Korra's mind told her that this woman was not her mother, but she could feel the love from her. More significantly than anything else. And she suddenly knew the name of this mysterious woman.

_Senna._

Korra turned to see the boy. She knew she loved him, but she didn't feel it returned from him. At least, not returned to her. But she did feel someone's love returned to her, and the boy began to morph into a different figure. A figure with long black hair. And Korra knew that whatever memories she had, whatever that person felt for that boy, Korra felt for this new figure. And suddenly, she knew her name.

_Asami_

Korra held on to it. She held on to Senna. She held onto Asami. She found and held on to the others with such significance as well. She found Tonraq, she found Ahna and Akna. Naga. Bolin. Mako. Tomkin. Lin. Tenzin…she found everything that was important to her, and grasped it. Whatever was left behind, Korra prepared to drain it. All the memories of the old Water Tribes. Of Ba Sing Sei. Of a grueling battle for freedom. Of a loving brother. A scarred, honored firebender and a brave, blind earthbender. A big fuzzy sky bison and a little flying lemur. And of the boy with the arrow on his head, who saved the world. To return it to the Spirit World where it would rest forever as it did not belong to her. But there was one memory which halted her.

It was a memory of Korra. Korra's own body assembled out of the mist in front of her. She was seeing herself. Behind her laid Naga, and Korra knew that this was the day she had run away from the South Pole to go to Republic City. Not much longer than a year ago.

Korra shed a tear. There was hope, and she continued to see it. Traces of love and kindness that were present in human beings. She not only knew it, she felt it. Now in her own life. She knew the race was worth living as she freed herself from the foreign Clasma which belonged to her beloved and now deceased waterbending master, Katara.

_Thank you for healing me, Katara._

**/*Okay, complicated chapter. Here is a simplification:**

**Everyone contains Cosmic Energy-clasma. Its collection within people forms a Soul. Everyone with a Soul, which is everyone, is connected to the Sea of Souls, kind of like Heaven, so when they die, they return to the Spirit World. However, there is a system in place: certain cosmic energy patterns within certain people not only connect them to the Spirit World, but also to a specific Spirit who has control over the cosmic energy. This Spirit connects to this person, and its abilities flow through a channel (which I will get to later) to this person allowing the to bend a specific element. So when people have foreign chi, it gets really messed up. The thing is, as Korra said, people are defined by their soul, not by the souls' connection to an entity giving them bending. Severing foreign clasma is fine (since it is not theirs), but as Aang demonstrated, severing bending does not destroy the soul of someone…*/**


	41. Origins

-Origins—

Korra lied in the center of the platform. Sprawled. Exhausted. She barely avoided a crisis. She almost lost herself to memories that did not belong to her. She almost adopted a new past, a new identity. And the scariest thing was she truly believed she had assumed a different life.

_Whoa_

Korra repeated names to herself. Her mother. She almost forgot who her mother was. Now that she had drained herself, she couldn't believe she almost forgot that. She would not know how to continue if she had.

_Come here, Korra. Come on my little baby._

Korra closed her eyes and saw Senna. She was a toddler again. Her mother was teaching her to walk, saying baby words all nicely to encourage her. Korra saw herself not even stumbling. She simply stood up and walked across the room to her mother. No trouble. Her mother was probably stunned that Korra learned to walk almost immediately.

_That's my girl! My beautiful Korra! _

Korra smiled. She felt the warm embrace of her mother. In the dead of winter when the temperature was well below zero, she wondered how her mother's hugs still remained such a strong source of heat.

_A mother's love burns even in the darkest and coldest times, Korra. And it will always be here for you, no matter what._

Korra missed that warmth. She was reminded of it when she hugged Asami. It was not a motherly love, but it was warm.

Tomkin appeared.

"The training must continue, Korra. I am sorry that I have to give you another lecture, but just as Aang needed to learn the origin of the conflict that he faced, so too must you learn the origin of yours. The difference was that Aang's conflict originated with Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin a century before Aang's time. The conflict you face originated with the creation of the world.

Korra sat in front of Tomkin. This would be her last moments with Tomkin before she returned. What he told her in these moments would be the key to preventing the end of this world.

"There are two worlds: the physical world and the Spirit World. The Spirit World contains the remnants of the dead who leave the physical world, and the original Spirits who are responsible for the creation of the physical world and for benders."

Tomkin drew in the dirt to help her visualize the concept of the two worlds. He drew two concentric circles. He pointed to the outer circle.

"Let this outer, bigger circle represent the physical world. This inner circle would be the Spirit World. In a way, energy flows into the planet to the Spirit World, so it 'rests at the center' per say. One cannot actually get to it unless taken by a Spirit because it is more of a different dimension, but channels and limbos exist in very rare situations like the one we are currently in. In a moment I will digress, but as I said before, the Spirits have encased this inner circle, the Spirit World, into a vessel, known as CHAOS, that has escaped from this inner circle, leaving behind the Wastelands where we are, and will traverse into the real world and essentially smother it. To repeat, the Spirit World has become completely contained within this vessel. The vessel is an enormous and powerful beast called CHOAS, and it is able to cross the boundary into the physical world, bringing the Spirits with them. It will enable the process of the earth's destruction. During this process, the Spirit World will sort of leak into the physical one out of this monster. The beast releases an army of planet destructors that collect Clasma back from people and the Spirit World leaks in and overtakes the physical world. Once the physical world is completely gone and the Spirit World is all that is left, a new physical world will form around CHAOS, and the planet destructors become fossils in the ground. If you wanted to get to the Spirit World now, you would have to go within the beast, CHAOS. I know this because this whole process has been done twice before. There have been two races of dominant species before the humans even existed. And this is where I will digress."

Korra prepared herself. Her swords. Her hood. She was using weapons that had been developed by a different race of people. On a planet that may have existed before this one.

"Two races. Each on different planets that existed before Earth. Different rules. Different ways of life. But they had one thing in common in that the Spirits were responsible for their creation. You have seen the ghosts of the people that inhabited these worlds, and you've seen the worlds themselves. The young man with the hood similar to yours. His name is Shoogar, at least, that is our translation of his name. He hailed from the very first world the Spirits created. His race specialized in creating weapons. They were a slightly different species. Very athletic. Their muscles allowed them to run faster, jump higher, and they could mold raw materials into the weapons with their bare hands. Their planet consisted of several floating platforms with towns and homes on each one, all levitating over the Spirit World.

"Raiken. He hailed from the next race. The second one. The man with the black overcoat that you've seen. A race of people who were extremely sensitive to the flow of cosmic energy in the air. Giving them psychic abilities. The Spirits dictated that certain individuals of this race could hone these psychic abilities, enter the minds of others. Make any person believe that they were somebody else. It was extended to telekinesis as well. They rose great cities with ease because of their powers over objects and people. An advanced civilization, much more advanced than our world might ever be. Their telekinetic powers over objects is somewhat similar to our bending."

"Both of these worlds came to an end in the same way. After a long existence, the Spirit World concluded that each was a failed race, failed to live up to certain expectations, and ended them with CHAOS. Around the beast of a vessel, a new world formed. A new design. A new race was created. They, too, had their own abilities granted to them from the Spirit World. After a long time, both populations began to advance, and they forgot the Spirits that created them, they fell out of the order intended for them, strayed from the line, and so they were discontinued, and the Spirits created a new race. Two more times they repeated this. Over millions of years. Who even knows how many races before these had been ended. The Spirits create and deem as failures. Each time they endowed members of these races with god-like abilities, but as I said, it came to an abrupt end at the mercy of their creators.

"Like the Avatar we know of today, there were individuals in each race that existed at the very end of their race's existence. Both Shoogar and Raiken are ambassadors from this race. Ghosts that continue to try and communicate with us because their energy is still in use. During their time, they were contacted by a very powerful Spirit, one who had mandate over the other Spirits and led the process of ending a world using CHAOS."

"Daya," Korra said.

"Yes, Daya. The mother. The core of the Spirit World's connection to the physical one. The most vital piece in this puzzle. She worked through Shoogar and Raiken. They involuntarily led CHAOS into the physical world so that it could release their army, the SPORE- planet destructors."

"Solomon said SPORE."

"Solomon _found_ the SPORE. With Graft, in the Si Wong Desert. Their remains rest there. In Graft and Solomon's expedition, they dug up what they thought was an ancient race, like the ones I spoke of. But any race that existed before was completely wiped out by CHAOS and the SPORE, and in the new world, the remains of the SPORE are buried in a very specific place, that place being the Si Wong Desert, the memorial. They found the species that destroyed all planets previous to this one. These creatures contain crystals that can draw Clasma from people and store it. That is the crystal his experiments have been using. The SPORE operation merges the Spirit World and the physical world.

"I need to tell you about the human race and the Avatar. When this world was created, the Spirits endowed some of us with their god-like abilities. First they endowed the humans with the ability to manipulate cosmic energy directly, but the Spirits concluded this would not be useful. The humans would not be able to survive using this ability. So instead they associated certain chi patterns with a connection to a Spirit that had control over the elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The essentials to surviving, apparently. It was the same bending as we know it now.

"But as one can expect, there was a transient period when the race started. A transient period in which the human race lived off instinct, adapting to their powers, adapting to others, and time was needed as we inevitably tended away from the violence and toward peace. Wars began to erupt as people did not know how to use their bending, but the world inched toward that more peaceful state. It would be some time before they learned reason, as the randomness of our existence eventually led us to discover the concept of love and respect, but this is expected, at least, by humans. This is how any race starts. There is order, but the randomness disrupts that order and leads us to something completely new, completely different, and completely better. The Spirits deemed us a failure very early in their existence, and pushed to end the human race. But the ultimate judge, Daya, refused to listen to the Spirits' pleas to end the human race so soon. She wanted to preserve it. She refused to simply end it like she had with the others.

"Daya believed in the human race, she wasn't giving up on them as quickly, but she admitted that they needed to be guided, to be assisted. Whatever it was, whatever the reason she wanted us to have or know of this bending, of this cosmic energy; however she wanted us to be helped; for whatever goal she wanted us to accomplish…she needed to help us do it herself. Daya created a system then, a system which described how Spirits and humans would be connected. You remember I told you certain patterns in people connect them to entities, Spirits, that allow them to bend certain elements. To experience a connection with the cosmic energy. Daya changed the way the energy flowed from the Spirits to the humans, she made it so that it would have to flow through her. All of it.

"She did this so that she had control over all the cosmic energy flowing from the Spirit World, and with this power, she could create a copy of herself, an incarnated form of herself in the physical world that would hone the power of the energy that flowed through her. It would take all of the concentration that Daya had, all of the energy in her supreme being to create such a person, an incarnation of herself. The person she created would be the bridge, would have control over all cosmic energy, and be able to guide the human race to her vision of prosperity. Does all this sound like something you know about, Korra?"

"The Avatar?"

"Precisely. Daya created Oni, the first Avatar. The word 'Avatar' actually means the incarnation of a body to act for someone else, in most cases, for a god, as it was then for Daya in creating Oni.

"Daya became a statue because of this. A statue that forever used all of her energy to hold together the bonds that made up Oni. To create this human, she used composite parts of past races—of Shoogar, of Raiken. That is why you can see them. You are composed of them."

"Oni had all of Daya's powers. Oni knew how to communicate with Daya, and she listened to her, and she was successful in guiding the human race from their violent ways to a more harmonious civilization. She taught them of the Spirit World. Of our great creators and the need for our eternal devotion to them. A balance was established. Oni made a promise to Daya: Oni would follow the orders of Daya and carry out her wishes for all time. Daya was pleased, but in her haste to remedy the human race, she did not account for something. She failed to realize that her incarnate form would be human, and all humans suffer from one absolute condition—they die. After a long life, Oni died. But Daya could not stop projecting her energy onto the physical world. She was using all of her energy to do it, so she had none left to make any decision, to communicate, she could only watch."

"So, all of Daya's energy remained in the physical world, disembodied, but it is energy, so it had to go somewhere. And it did. It found itself in a soul similar to Oni's, and a new human was born who possessed all the powers of Oni. Born into a normal family as a baby. Daya was surprised, scared, but as I said, she could do nothing about it.

"Time wore on, and the Four Nations developed as benders separated. The Avatar cycle gradually became a custom among the population. Daya was not sure this was going in the direction she wanted. She was confused. The new Avatars that were born, she no longer was able to communicate with them, to teach them what to do. She had no more energy to speak, the Avatars did not know how to initiate communication because each one lived amongst humans, and the humans knew only that the Avtar was a special medium. The humans always knew of the Spirit World, and they knew the Avatar was some kind of prophet, but Daya was forgotten, as was the full range of abilities possessed by the Avatar. People began to believe that the four elements were all that the Avatar could master, that the Avatar was so powerful because the Avatar possessed all four abilities, but in reality the Avatar controlled all cosmic energy. The Avatar was so much more powerful, but no one could bend energy, or knew much about it, so by consequence, neither did the human Avatar.

"Daya grew unhappy. Angry. The Avatar continued to settle affairs of man. The Avatar had forgotten Daya, had forgotten the Spirit World. Had forgotten her spectrum of abilities. Daya's anger turned to hatred for our race, she saw violent wars return, she saw unkindness, she saw people leave behind respect for their creators, leave behind their reverence for the cosmic energy around them. The race was advancing faster and farther than the races before it. The race was becoming _independent_, and Daya wanted to end them like she had before. She believed the Avatar would be the guide for the humans, but the Avatar had joined them in what Daya would see as the abandonment of the forces that fed them—the Spirits. But she could do nothing about it, she could not accept the fact that this race had learned to feed itself, and that we had developed something unpredictable, something which bound us together stronger than the bond which attached us to the Spirits – love for one another- and so the human race continued to evolve until one day.

"One day, a man listened. A man heard the faint cry of Daya. Because of his superior bloodbending abilities, he had more keen senses. He had tapped into the content within the cosmic flow, and what he heard was the voice of Daya, expressing her sorrow, pleading for the end. Preaching the failures of the Avatar, and this man took this as a calling. A calling for him to end what he so hated. He was not lying when he said he had heard the Spirits, Korra. He made it his mission to take your bending, and Noatak succeeded in doing so. Well, at least some fraction of it.

"When the deed was done, some of the cosmic energy that was inherent to you returned to the Spirit World, returned to Daya. You lost a piece of your composition that day, Korra, and Daya regained control over herself again. She can speak, and she came to you to fulfill a dark destiny that Shoogar and Raiken had unknowingly fulfilled as well. But you refused. You refused and you _believed_ you could stop it. Stop her. And due to your adversity, Daya found another who would do her bidding. She found Solomon, a man who died in hatred for the humans. The energy that was returned to her was endowed to him—manipulation over the elements and cosmic energy. He is what Oni was, and he is extremely dangerous. Daya acts through him, and he will bring CHAOS into the physical world and destroy it."


	42. The Apple

-The Apple—

"Korra?" Tomkin repeated.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking about after…?"

"I think…" Korra's voice trailed off. She sat silently. "I think Aang had it easy…"

"We aren't facing an imperialistic nation, a tyrannical king or an unethical scientist. This is serious business. We are going up against our own creators. The ones who gave us life, who gave us their abilities, and who are now going to just take it away as if we mean nothing to them."

"What was the point of it all, Tomkin? Why did they feel we needed these powers of theirs at all? Each time they created a race, they gave select few of us these superhuman abilities. Why?"

"I do not know, Korra. Perhaps to help us survive, like it is believed. Perhaps they wanted us to advance faster…or perhaps they wanted us to remember that the Spirits are responsible for our existence. That they are in control, are to be feared. That they are the ones who decide if we shall prosper and survive, or die off without a second thought because we did not fulfill their expectations. We were not the perfect race that they wanted."

"And why?" Korra asked suddenly, "What race do they want? What race is perfect? How can they expect a world without violence, without conflict? These are bad things, sure, but they will always exist. You can't drive them out. In a way, they allow us to move forward, right? These things empower those who embrace love and kindness. Who fight for peace. It makes us stronger as we will always try to eradicate evil. I agree it is bad, but they are unrealistic in asking for nothing but eternal peace. Especially when humans have possession of bending…There are those among us who will fail. There are those who will deviate into the darkness. The innocent people in this world who embrace love should not have to suffer for those who turn to darkness." Korra was on the verge of tears. So many thoughts spun through her head. The Avatar's role to bring peace. Bending-the weapons of the mystical endowed on physical humans… Korra was dizzy and almost lost her balance. Why hadn't anyone known about this sooner? How would they? How would anyone in this world know about the ones that existed before them?

"Korra, I brought you to this place for very specific reasons. You needed to recover, and I was the one who would help revive you after Solomon's beating. I hoped that this would allow you to see what is truly important to you. To see that it is even possible that the things that cause the most harm can also be the one that heals. The Clasma, for example. The Clasma has degraded Republic City and angered the Spirits, but it has also saved you. So a balance exists, between these things, such that on one end they destroy, on the other they bring life. The Spirits are no different, as are the humans. But do either deserve to die? Do they deserve to live? I hope you had thought about these things, and during your recovery, you would discover the things that you believe are worth fighting for. The other reason…the same reason I trained you. I believe you can stop this cycle for good. I believe you can save the human race from destruction at the hands of the Spirits. I believe you can subdue Daya."

"And how would I do that!?" Korra yelled. She was crying now.

"Draining. It is more powerful than you might think it to be. You can suppress chi within humans, but it does not have to stop there. You are a god incarnated. You were made directly by their hands, and only you can be the one to stop them. You are one of them. You can use that power against the Spirits themselves. You can suppress the cosmic energy possessed by the Spirits. You can suppress _her. _You are the only hope this world has left."

_The only hope left…_

_Daya_

"I can't be all that is left…it is always…me."

It was always the Avatar. The Avatar solving the problems. Everyone turned to the Avatar when the world was in danger. She was expected to be its remedy. She was the ambassador of the all-powerful Spirit world. Like a parent to the children human race. It is how it has always been. For generations. But somehow, Korra still didn't want to believe it. Somehow, she felt that the world was forgetting the Avatar. That they were tired of turning to one person when the world was thrown off-balance.

But what could the humans do against the Spirits? Why was that their responsibility? Is that a fair fight? Do the humans have the power that a god have?

Does a god have the power the humans have?

_It is not power that defines us, but rather the road we choose to take to obtain it. Did the Spirits follow this same road, or were they just born with this power?_

But even greater than these questions was the question of rather the human race was even _worth _saving. Of course, Korra knew this was preposterous. She had convinced herself that it was worth it, but if she was able to stop all this, would people like Graft and Qu remain in power? Would the world be a subject to human tyranny? Would they even learn from the Spirit World's anger? They never seemed to learn from Amon's war…

_At least humans can rise against other humans…but what about Spirits?_

Korra couldn't get her thoughts straight. Nothing had a right answer. She was lost in the unknown, but Tomkin did his best to guide her. To help her clarify her decision.

"Korra, it was never my intention to make you do anything. The choice is up to you. There are…consequences to the things I am telling you. The things that you must do to save humanity. Consequences that I would never force you to accept. I am here to give you the facts, the encouragement, but in the end, the decision is yours to make. I am unlike the Spirits in that I believe in the freedom of humanity, that no superhuman entity should have any control over us. That is why I choose to ignore my bending. It is something that I do not need. It gives me superhuman abilities…but in the end, I am still a human. That is what I choose. Humans should never have to face a god. Gods live in infinite energy, infinite power. We live in a finite space, but in that world, we thrive, we work, and we gain power, and that separates us, makes us a different race from the Spirits, a different entity that does not belong in the same society. With that, I can do no more for you than tell you how to leave this place."

Tomkin walked to the edge of the platform.

"There are two ways out." He pointed out to a path across the sea made by the ruins of the building they had been inhabiting. "To the physical world." He then pointed down into the sea. "To your death. You can choose to return, or go as far from possible from this conflict. In that case, a new species would be born, and the cycle will continue."

Tomkin walked through Korra. A ghost. Korra felt the cold air as he passed by.

"Goodbye, Korra." He disappeared.

Korra sat on the steps leading into the sea. She could not see her reflection. She saw darkness below her. It scared her.

_Consequences…_

"Yes." A voice. Korra looked up and saw Shoogar and Raiken sitting on a rock, their faces veiled.

"Oh, hi," she said. The boys hopped across the rocks. Raiken was much taller than Shoogar. He was very lanky and made his way across a little more lazily than the playful hopping exemplified by the shorter, more child-like Shoogar.

"Hi. We never actually met." He hopped to the rock in front of her. "Shoogar, from the first world. And this is Raiken, from the second. He doesn't talk very much, and ignore the blindfold. His race didn't use their eyes. Oh, those swords you use weren't designed very well. I'll make sure you have a new one when you return to Earth, if you choose to do so. And maybe a new hood, too."

"Thank you," she said. "I don't know what to do, yet. I want to save the human race, I want to go after Daya…but Tomkin told me there were consequences. Why wouldn't I go after the force trying to destroy the world? Why wouldn't I want to save the friends that I love? Why wouldn't I want to end this eternal cycle of destruction and free the human race?"

"Because doing so would mean you would have to suppress Daya," said a voice behind Korra. She rose and turned to see someone she initially thought was Tenzin. She was surprised. She knew Tenzin was not the one who was supposed to be here. He wore orange and yellow robes. He had a beard. He had the bald head with the arrow tattoo. But his voice was not as deep as Tenzin's. It sounded younger.

"Aang…"

"He is right," Shoogar said. "You would have to end the Spirit responsible for the flow of cosmic energy from the Spirits to the benders."

"So why does that matter?" Korra asked.

"If you stop Daya," Aang said, "You will halt the entire world's ability to bend. Forever."

"Daya controls it," Shoogar said. "Rendering her powerless would disconnect humanity from the Spirit World's power."

Korra hadn't equated the two things. Daya had assumed control over all the streams of chi that flowed from people to the Spirits which allowed them to bend. What would the world be like without bending? Would they survive? Would they die anyway? Again, would it even be worth it…would there even be…this tyranny?

"Korra," Aang said, "this is madness. Fighting Daya is not the answer. Not only would you be ending the power to bend, which defines culture and our way of life, but you would be taking the life of a Spirit, one who created this world and gave every last bit of her energy to make sure the human race survived. You don't know what you would be doing. Think about how wrong it would be for the human to slay their suffering creator just so they could live. It would not bring the balance that we need. It is not the answer."

"It is the only answer," Shoogar countered. "You can't stop her any other way. You can't kill CHAOS. The only way to stop her is draining her."

"There is nothing else I can do? Nothing at all?" Korra pleaded.

"Draining a Spirit is essentially killing it. Killing a Spirit and ending the power over the elements. There would be eternal conflict between the Spirit World and the physical one. Even if you end bending, we still return to the Spirit World. We are still connected. The strife will always exist. There has to be another way," Aang stated. Korra couldn't tell if Aang was preaching this because of his nonviolent ways, or because he did not wish to see the end of bending. Seeing such power lost in humanity would not be easy for anyone…not even the previous Avatar.

"There is none," Raiken finally spoke. He and Shoogar were getting frustrated with Aang's stubbornness.

Korra sat in the middle. One had been her former life, the other two had directly become a puppet of Daya at one point and carried out, inadvertently, the operation that Solomon was now facilitating. She believed Shoogar, but she wanted to believe Aang. She knew he was wrong in saying there was another way, but she still wanted to believe that one existed. She didn't know what destroying bending would mean.

"You have my thoughts on this, Korra. It is up to you to choose the future of humanity." This was Aang's last words. They would stick with Korra. She would continue to be burdened by it, to ask herself what that future would be, and to find any rationale behind destroying bending. Why was she the future for a whole race? Why did it have to rest in her hands? Will it always be this way?

Korra didn't want to be here anymore. She had heard enough. This decision was irrelevant at the moment. Korra knew she had to return. Whether she would have to stop Daya or not, Republic City beckoned her. She had made a promise to her friends, to Asami, that she would return. She would do this no matter what. She would save her.

"I need to go. I must go now."

She looked up. Shoogar was standing at the entrance of the path back to the physical world. Raiken had his hand on Shoogar's shoulder. They looked sad. They were standing in Korra's way. There was still something Korra did not know. The reason that this mission was left up to her to choose. Korra walked toward them, but she already knew what they were thinking. The realization suddenly struck her.

Raiken turned to Korra. He didn't speak. He slowly walked past Korra and into nothingness. Shoogar turned to face her, "Korra," he said. He looked her in the eyes and Korra returned the stare. His eyes were golden.

They spoke to her, and she fully understood the much darker consequence that would come about if Korra were to subdue Daya.

He shed a tear, and Korra smiled.

"You know, then?" he said, slowly. "Daya used all of her energy. She used it all to give you your powers, to transfer the power of the cosmic energy that flows through her to you. But we, the Spirits of the Dead, the Spirits from the past worlds that she destroyed, our energy is under her control as well. She needed to create a human, and she used us. Our Souls. She uses all of her being to hold the bonds of our souls together in a single incarnated being. The prophet from the Spirit World. The Avatar. And if you suppress her…" he stopped speaking.

Shoogar hugged her. Suddenly she heard a loud boom. In the distance, huge waves formed. The water became violent. Ripples approached her and grew in size. In the distance, something had caused a huge splash. Tidal waves emitted from it. Something had risen out of the water and was moving fast in the direction Korra would be heading.

CHAOS had risen.

"We'll meet again soon," Shoogar said

Korra knew what was at stake. She knew what it meant to put an end to Daya. Bending would not be the only thing to disappear.

Korra would be suppressing the Spirit responsible for her own existence.


	43. Welcome Back to Republic City

**Book 4: Chaos**

-Welcome Back to Republic City-

**_Attention Republic Nations. This is your leader, Gang Qu, the Chief of the once prominent Republic City Police Department. I am here to report on the devastating events that have taken place in Republic City over the last few weeks. Our beloved prophet, Graft, the man who we all believed would lead us into peace, into a world where we could all be guaranteed the safety and respect we deserve, was assassinated by the terrorist faction under the alias, Oni. It is truly a dark day when those who fight for justice are slain by the selfish who only want power. By those who have no concern for the human life, and will gladly turn to murder to get what they want._**

**_The terrorist faction then proceeded to engage in biological warfare by releasing a substance which contaminated the waters as well as the minds of our citizens. The police force has managed to evacuate many citizens, but as for the poor individuals who have been infected, they're minds are too far gone to save now, and even though we express great sympathy, if we do not do something, they will contaminate the rest of the world._**

**_I speak to you all to say that we have prevailed. Those of us who remained unharmed by Oni have escaped and quarantined the city. We are certain that the only ones to remain in the city are the infected citizens, as well as the terrorist faction that has caused all this. Soon, Republic City will be cleansed in order to save the world form these terrorists. We will build a new city, a city which will not fall victim to the horrid acts of these malicious fiends._**

_**Once Republic City is rebuilt, we can continue the path that Graft had laid out for us. A path to power for the individual. A path to a safer world. We ask for your support in this government, we ask that you support the only people who fight for justice, the only servants to this planet that remain. We are the light bearers, and with your help we can.**_..pfft

Static. Soon the white noise of the radio disappeared, and a new voice spoke. A different voice. Much deeper than the previous one. Some kind of device was being used to manipulate this new speaker's voice. Whoever he was, he completely interrupted Qu's transmission.

_**Good evening, Nations. Humans of the planet. No, this is no longer your "humble servant", Gang Qu, speaking. Our superior technology has intercepted his transmission, and now we have overtaken the airways to broadcast our message. The message of truth.  
**_  
_**Gang Qu is a liar. Gang Qu and Graft are responsible for the state of Republic City. They released the substance into the city, and watched it deteriorate as they raked in the praise of their followers. And now they seek to destroy their past and bury the mistakes they have made by wiping out those who remain in Republic City.  
**_  
_**But do not be fooled. Their followers continue to diminish. And ours continue to grow. It has been almost a year now, and are numbers are large.  
**_  
_**We are ONI. We are an organization. Qu calls Oni a terrorist, but he is the terrorist. We are the messengers of truth, here to establish the world that our inspiration, the hero Oni of Republic City, tried to bring to us by ending Graft's reign.  
**_  
_**Qu and Graft lust for the power of the gods. We embrace the power of the human. We fight to save humanity, and we will stop anything in our way.  
**_  
_**We are ONI, and our army is growing.  
**_  
_**Join us.  
**_  
The radio turned to static, then Qu's voice returned briefly for his closing remarks. Whoever had hacked the airways, they had been able to completely jam the government's transmitter. Qu would not be able to communicate to the world. The world that he was slowly making his domain since he fled Republic City after Graft's death. Graft's strong grasp had reached beyond the city, to the armed forces across the world, and this power had inadvertently been transferred to Qu at the time of Graft's death.

Bolin switched the radio off as he heard a thud on the floor above him.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Mako turned and listened, then determined it to be nothing important, "Don't get worked up."

Those who remained—Bolin, Mako, Sydney, O-Ren—walked through the network of tunnels and sewers underneath the city. Trying to survive like they had before with the bums and hobos who inhabited the underground when Amon had overtaken the city. Now, on the surface, the drones policed the streets without restraint while the fiends operated their Clasma black markets in the shadows. After the events in Graft's office, word quickly got to Qu, who ordered a massive evacuation of the city. Under the police station, there was a platform with several emergency trains. Qu gathered as many loyal citizens as possible, which was quite a lot, and loaded them onto the trains and had them taken safely out of the city to Metro, a large town on the ocean south of Republic City and home of the second largest station for underground trains, behind Republic City's Central Station. But Qu could not save everyone, and those that remained would be angry, so in his rash and uncalculating state he released Clasma into the water supply, quarantined the city, and now, from his current residence in Metro, was planning the destruction of Republic City, codenaming the mission "Cleansing". He placed the blame—of Graft's murder, of the creation and release of Clasma, of the instability—on Team Avatar, naming it the terrorist faction, Oni.

The gang struggled to survive living underneath the city. The surface was too dangerous. Aside from Graft's drones running rampant, the fiends had taken over the streets, gaining more members from people drinking the city water. They operated a chaotic clasma trading system. The water system within the city had also been cut off from the rest of the world to prevent spreading of the Clasma.

Some of the tunnels under the city were recent and constructed by Graft. Some of them led to garages which led to highways which led to the bridges leading out of the city. The team knew of several of these exits by now. After hearing the news of the terror that Qu unleashed and placing the blame on them, the remaining members of Team Avatar were working to help any surviving, sane citizens left behind by Qu to escape the city via these several tunnels. But fiends tailed them. Fiends driven by Clasma. Fires and riots and violence were above them on the surface. The gray sky that once rested above Pratt Street now flowed through the city as it deteriorated from the anarchy.

Fiends with multiple bending abilities ran wild through the streets. Burning buildings. Freezing people to death. Uplifting the earth. Filtering the water to find more Clasma. To become stronger. In the state that they had been driven to, finding more was all they knew. It was all they wanted for they truly believed it would save them from their misery. Soon they would desire to leave the city, but Qu's metal benders installed metal barriers across the city. They hoped there was not traces of metal bending Clasma.

The misery of insanity. The misery of not knowing their true identities. But underneath them, the true misery of the planet sought a way to save it. The true misery of the young friends who had almost everything taken form them in their lives and were never given much to begin with.

"Don't drink any of the water, remember," Mako had told them.

"Do you think they found the way out?" O-Ren asked. They had just led a group of survivors to a safe exit. Qu's haste must have made him forget that people would escape through these tunnels. As long as the survivors stuck together, they were safer anywhere else than they were in the city. This was all they could do to help. Lin and Tenzin had already left with another group of survivors several days earlier. The Team agreed that Tenzin could not stay in the city. He had a dependent family, and against his wishes, he finally agreed go with Lin and the other survivors. The team convinced Lin to let them stay and find as many survivors that would be able to escape before the city was leveled. Hopefully, one of these survivors would be the people who had been left behind from Team Avatar. Mako and Bolin weren't going to give up so easily when it came to their two best friends.

Korra. They thought Korra had been killed. Solomon dragged her battered body away and disappeared with it. They watched in shock but quickly tried to put the horrific scene out of their minds when they saw what the city was becoming. Korra may be dead. But somehow, they knew she could still be alive. Korra was full of surprises. Mako had a desperate hope, but Bolin felt assured that she would return. He was expecting to see her just show up. She always had nifty ways of returning from life-threatening situations.

And then Asami. Asami had become infected, too. Solomon left her to rot under the influence of Clasma. The team had helped her out of Graft's building and to the underground where she could be taken care of until they found a way to save her. But they had taken too long. Asami had developed the ability to bend, and became a new person, unwilling to cooperate with Mako and Team Avatar. Her inner mechanisms changed too rapidly for her mind to keep up, so it was lost in a foreign personality. Her fingers emitted flames, and in her confused state over this transformation, fled.

Now, the team took note of this last exit before they returned to the city to find more survivors. There was a garage here, some with cars. If they needed a quick escape, this would be the exit to go to. It was a bit longer of a tunnel, but the cars would definitely come in handy in a bind. But they wouldn't leave until they got Asami and Korra. As the team walked back toward the inner city to find more survivors, just above them, two fiends walked through an alley, one of them carrying a wooden stump.

"Quit walking so loud! You'll wake him!" the female said. She was holding the wooden stump.

"Quit yelling so loud! You'll wake him, bitch," the man said.

"You don't speak to me that way you no-good pile of waste. When was the last time you did anything for the family?"

"You should be grateful to me! I ain't be out cheating on you. I find the best for this family. Trying to achieve the dream, and you just walking corners sleeping with pigs for a quick buck and now we got this baby. Thanks for helping out."

"You're going to regret those words!"

"There ain't gon be no family left if I can help it," the man pulled out a pistol and shot the woman in the leg. She fell to the ground, crying in pain. The man opened a dumpster and held the stump over it.

"Stop crying! Good for nothing, You wanna cry? You think someone will just come and help you if you cry? You'll see. No one is left to save you! No one in this world cares!" he said. He put the stump in the dumpster and closed it. Behind him the woman cried in pain still. "Quit you're crying, sheesh. You'll survive. What? What is that look, now? Why'd you suddenly stop wailing? What is…"

Suddenly something was on the man. He was on the ground, this person pinning him with his feet on his arms. He jerked its head close to his face in a very rapid, irregular movement. Its eyes glowed red as it analyzed the man, crying in fear. A tentacle extended from the creature's back with a sharp blade on the end of it. It concluded the man to be a law-breaker, and the drone drew the blade back to plunge it in to his chest.

The drone screeched. Not its normal, crying screech. It was in pain. The tentacle had been severed, and in the next instant a hand was grasping the back of the drone's head. A light emitted from the contact, the red glow faded, and the drone fell to the ground, shaking.

The man looked up, beyond the drone's shriveled body was a tall woman standing right before him. She possessed a katana with an intricate design on the blade which was inches from his face. He didn't even breathe.

"If you don't want to end up worse than that," the woman said, pointing at the drone "You will tell me where Asami Sato is."


	44. Siren

-Siren—  
Solomon found Graft's cane and walked through the abandoned halls of Solomon Solutions Headquarters. On the speakers, a classical piano played eloquently as he strolled.

"I'm thinking the next world should embrace music more than this one did. This really is a nice piece. Always been one of my favorites.  
Nakajima's Fifth Symphony in D Minor." Solomon began to sway with the piano as it played. "Hmph, so off-key there. The next race must be masters of this art. I would like that." He smiled.

Solomon heard a crashing noise behind him. He saw shadows move across the wall. He walked into a lab and found a fiend tearing the place apart. Looking for Clasma. Solomon smiled and twirled his cane in his hand.

"May I help you with something?" he asked.

The fiend looked up. He wore a tie. Blood stained it and his untucked button down shirt. He had lost most of his teeth and smelled of vomit. "I thought all you lot hit the road."

"No. You'd be wrong on that one, my good man," Solomon said politely. "I can see you have no regard for the things I own here. That is my name after all," Solomon indicated the name of the company written on the wall.

"Well," the fiend said, "maybe you can tell me where I can get some Clasma," he pulled out a knife.

"How predictable. No concern for your neighbor, only for your own gain."

"If you looking to blame someone, blame the ones who made us this way. We didn't choose this life, but now choice is no longer an ability we have."

Solomon approached the man. "The only ones who made you this way was yourself," Solomon quickly grabbed the fiend's wrist and twisted it. The knife fell. "This world is doomed. Let me make it easier for you, and provide you with your end sooner." Solomon began to repeatedly beat the fiend with his cane, not a single expression but a small smile on his face as he watched the fiend slowly die. The radio sounded, in the lab, and in the streets as well. Bits and pieces of Qu's voice could be heard, no connected sentences. Some kind of interference. A few words-safe, Metro, war-could be made out, but the transmission was once again interrupted by the deeper voice of ONI:

_**Nations. Republic City is in trouble. The people of ONI are aware. We are working as hard as we can to save it. We admit that the government has aided us by quarantining the city, but they are fools in their mission to destroy it and annihilate the life that remains there, which is their plan. Recently, they fired several missiles toward the city in an attempt to silence the whole situation. These missiles that Qu sent for the city contained a biological chemical, one that would spread and kill off any survivors of the massive explosion. We have prevented Qu's missile from reaching the city. Our counter missile attack has stopped it. We are working to create a remedy for those infected individuals, poisoned by Qu. We believe the cure is possible. And whatever it takes, we will find it. The people will be healed. There is no sacrifice too large for this endeavor. **_

_**We are ONI, and we fight for the prosperous future of humanity. We fight against all that oppose it.**_

_**Join us**_

"Ya hear the nooze?" the man asked his co-worker. Two fiends stood in front of a door at the end of a dark alley. The wooden door was to a large building, miles away from Solomon Solutions. One of the fiends was extremely pale and boney, the other tall, dark-skinned, tattooed. The pale one switched off the radio. "They ain't gon be bombing us anymore."

"They fools to try n finda a cure. Only cure is more Clasma, heh," the darker one said.

"Yeh, and with Siren, we getting that shit lef and right. She is amazin. I dun think we've had a bettuh bizzness leader than she. "

"Heh, hey, whattya reckon we got here?"

Out of the darkness in the alley, a figure appeared, walking quickly toward the two bouncers for the building in front of which they stood. Atop the door the word 'Siren' was crudely written on a sign.

"Excuse me, lil lady. Can't be going beyond this point less you got permission from the boss."

"I'm here to have a word with this 'boss'," the woman said as she walked toward them.

"Gonna have to order ya to stop right there or else things are gonna get real ugly."

Korra looked up at the men as she stood before them. "Then let it."

The fiends smiled. The pale man swung a crowbar at her as the other man uplifted a piece of cement with earthbending and encased his right fist in the hard rock. Korra blocked the pale man's attack and subdued him. As the darker man threw his cement punch, Korra moved the pale one in the way so that he received the crunching blow that was meant for her. She flexed her leg around the darker man and kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

Korra walked through the door and down a staircase until she was in a large room with crates stacked up like walls. She heard the sound of people talking. Yelling sounds of fiends cheering on what sounded like a fight. Other fiends were working. Moving and opening boxes that they filled with vials.

"Fiends on the west side tryna meet us at Fleet this afternoon," a fiend standing on top of a crate yelled. The room was massive, and there was so much going on. Korra passed a room which was blaring loud music. She saw several fiends, some without their shirts, kissing and rubbing against each other. It looked like that part of the building was some kind of a nightclub. Written everywhere, the words "East Side". It seemed that the fiends had formed their own gangs, one being on the west side and one on the east. They apparently did business with each other. Trading Clasma. This was the East Side's warehouse. Their inventory.

Wherever Asami was, she was the one in charge. Korra knew it. Somehow she had risen quickly to a managerial level and showed that she could effectively lead this group of fiends, the fiends on the east, to power. The fiends threatened to turn people over to Asami if they messed up. Korra concluded that she was feared. Well, whatever person she had become, Korra hoped the old Asami still existed.

"Hey! Boss ain't gonna be happy if you don't get those shipments by midnight!" one of the fiends was yelling. The man he yelled at started shaking with fear.

"Siren will snuff out any disloyalty, you peasants," another fiend yelled at a group of manual laborers.

Two fiends spoke with each other quietly behind a large cargo container, "I don't know what it is. She is inspirational, but also terrifying…"  
Korra passed several fiends who gave her strange looks. They wore gasmasks, shirtless with scars and tattoos, mountainous muscles. They lifted crates over their shoulders and double-took at Korra as she walked toward the office in which she was sure Asami awaited.

As Korra reached the stairs to the boss's office, she realized that she had generated a small following of fiends. Fiends who wondered what she was doing. Where she came from. If she was dangerous. The following increased as Korra got closer to the stairs, and she knew this was indeed the right direction. A screech sounded over the PA system.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you are having a wonderful day," Asami's voice said. "I would like to introduce you to our guest. She is wearing a dark blue hood over her face and is carrying a dangerous looking katana. Her name is Korra. Can we please escort our guest to my large office? I would love to have a word with her." Asami hung up.

Korra stood before the door to Asami's room. They were large swinging doors on the second floor. She felt the breath of the fiends behind her, ready to pounce if anything happened. The stench of bacteria and waste and human flesh rotting. Korra entered through the doors.

The office was barren. A large room with large windows looking out to a courtyard. Paint peeled off the walls. A desk was overturned in the corner. The bookshelf was empty save for several torn up pages. The light was dim. Across the room, Asami sat on a pillow on the ground. Her eyes developed dark circles around them. Her skin was pale. She looked like she had gotten no sleep in days. Her hair frizzled in all directions. Many would think she hailed from Pratt Street. Just another hopeless, drugged out fiend. But Korra still saw Asami. She still saw a beautiful woman, whose soul was trapped in a jail within her, guarded by these new identities that were tricking her mind.

Asami smiled and stood. "Welcome, Korra. It is good to see you." Asami stumbled as she walked toward Korra like she was drunk. Korra didn't know the right chance to perform her cleansing of Asami. With all these fiends right on her, she would not have even a second to perform the act. And she needed her concentration. So many enemies like this, always watching her, would make it impossible. Asami wasn't saturated with Clasma like drones were.

But she felt it. She felt Asami's energy. Foreign Clasma swirling around the room. And Asami's was one of those. Infecting her friend. Korra tried to drain it right then, but the Clasma in all the people behind her was distracting. She would have to get Asami alone somehow, and to make it easier, she would have to make contact with Asami's body. That was one way to ease the draining process.

"So our beloved Avatar has finally decided to step up and take responsibility. Well, how unfortunate that you're too late."

"Asami…"

"Your friend, Asami, is no longer with us. You can call me Siren, the leader of these fiends. Their glorious savior. Whatever decentralized leadership they had before proved to be their ultimate downfall. These people need someone to tell them what to do. And with me in charge, we will never experience a shortage of Clasma. We will truly live in a beautiful world." Asami turned to look out the window. Instead of the chaotic, dark and dilapidating city that was there, Asami saw a wonderland. Pink skies and fluffy clouds with a smiling sun. Skyscraping palaces with beautiful princesses and noblemen who treated each other with respect. Happy families who received everything they asked for. They all looked up to her, the Queen, Siren, on her balcony, above her kingdom. She smiled. Her minions, the fiends, they chanted her name, called her beautiful, the great one. Only in the distance did she see all of her enemies burning in a beautiful flame, yelling to her for mercy. But they were weak. They don't deserve what she was giving. Her regime would be the greatest of all societies, and those that did not believe the same believed in death. "I am your great Queen. Bow before Siren, and I will give you peace. You want to end that peace, Korra. You seek bring down my world. You seek to betray me like you always have."

"You don't know what you are saying, Asami," Korra said, but it was no use. Asami was buried underneath Siren's delusional state. Buried underneath the personality of the former princess of the Fire Nation. Korra looked away. She couldn't bear to see the person she now held most important to her fall into madness brought on by the Clasma. Korra needed to save her. She would not let Asami go on like this. She made a promise.

A promise that she would do anything to save Asami's life, no matter what, because she loved her.  
Korra felt the fiend behind her place his hand on her shoulder, and she immediately turned to kick him and the other standing around him. A brawl ensued as the horde of fiends was upon her. She held them off. Untouched. They ran at her and only saw the underside of her foot or felt the hard blows of her fists. Korra kicked their guns and blades out of their hands. As the horde grew, Korra became overwhelmed, the fiends were piling on her, but she saw Asami, she saw her backing to the window. The window outside.

_That's it!_

Whatever cosmic energy Korra felt flowing around her, in all its randomness, she grasped it as hard as she could. Twisting it like it was a ribbon. The cosmic energy that belonged to fiends. She heard a few fiends cry out, and she used this opportunity to burst through pile toward Asami. Asami drew a blade from her sleeve but was too late. Korra had rammed into her and the two went out of the window, falling from the third story out into the courtyard. Asami wrestled free of Korra's grasp, placed her feet on Korra's chest and pushed off. The two landed on opposite sides of the courtyard, facing each other.

It was raining and snowing at the same time. The sky was the dreary gray from the eternal overcast. Asami stared down Korra and got furious. Asami began to yell.

"Fine. You want to fight? You want to take away the last thing this poor girl ever had? At least with me, she has a purpose. A reason to keep going. But now you want to end this, and bring her back to the dark world that has rejected her!" Asami's fists emitted flames and it propelled her toward Korra like a jet. Korra dodged her fire attacks.

The two battled in the courtyard. One to save her friend and the woman she may have loved. The other, to kill.

Korra was out of breath. Asami had favored her firebending as it was of the prodigious level. Korra held back from hurting Asami, and the battle lasted longer than she had planned since she refused to attack her friend. She was tired. She needed to act soon. Asami's energy level was much higher than Korra's due to the external aid of Clasma.

Korra needed to deeply search. She concentrated as Asami taunted her.

"I would think the Avatar would be able to at least put up a fight. Slowly realizing this race wasn't worth it, Korra!?"

There. Asami had said the name. Asami had said the name 'Korra', and for an instant, she sensed a spike in Asami's chi. A significant spike. A memory. A feeling. Something that struck a chord and barely awakened the old Asami.

Korra grasped it.

"You're nothing, Korra," Asami said. Korra felt it again. Stronger. The old memories. She needed more.

"This city hates you because you turned your back on them and then suddenly you reappear trying to act like a hero?"

Just a little more.

"She needed you, and you abandoned her. She cared about you, rescued you, and you leave her, never to speak with her again, as her mind slowly rots. That is no world she will ever want to return to. You are no one she ever wants to be with. Prepare to die, Korra."

That was it. Asami charged up a lightning bolt but was stopped, the lightning shooting into the sky. Asami was motionless. She felt ill. The cosmic energy began swirling around her sporadically. She looked at Korra, whose hands were out straight.

"You…," she struggled to say, "What are you...doing?"

"Saving my friend." Korra slowly walked up to Asami, who was paralyzed. She placed her left hand on Asami's shoulder, and her right on her forehead.

Korra felt like Amon in that instant, the way he stood, the way he took away people's bending. She questioned his intentions. She questioned his morality as she began to perform the same procedure that he had done. The procedure which made him an enemy. Made him evil. Was she evil?

_If there is any reason to save this race, make it her. If you ever forget why you're doing this, why you're trying to save this race, whenever you're confused about what is good or evil… _

_Think about Lin and Mako and Bolin and Tenzin. Think about your Uncle and Ahna and Akna. Think about Katara. Think about Asami.  
_  
Korra closed her eyes. She dove into the sea of interloping memories, sifting through thousands of faces of people whose cosmic energy composed the Clasma in Asami. She saw an Earthbending soldier fighting in the Great War. She passed him. She saw an Equalist man hiding his uniform and greeting his family. She passed him. She passed several other people and found what she thought was the most significant Clasma. It burned and emitted heat. Korra felt it. It was powerful. It was mean. It smiled a demonic smile and was the source of Asami's rage. Of Asami's insanity and delusion. This Clasma had left behind humanity, and would kill even her own family to ascend.

Blue fames and lightning surrounded this Clasma, but something more powerful rested behind it. Korra passed the flaming Clasma, and saw within this new one a young girl that burned as well. But it did not burn with the heat of hatred, of violence and power and death. It burned with the heat of something else…

_You're the reason, Asami, that I continue on. Because of you, I know what I am doing is right._

And Korra saw it. Asami. Her memories. Her feelings. So significant but suppressed under the weight of the foreign Clasma. Of Azula's Clasma. She grasped it, and like rushing water she felt the remaining Clasma flow down the drain into the Spirit World.  
Korra's legs wobbled and she fell to her kness, almost to the ground, but Asami caught her in an embrace. Asami cried on Korra's shoulder. She hugged her tightly. Korra got her breath, and felt the warmth emitting from Asami's body. It felt safe. She felt safe. It felt like a home to her.

Korra looked up, worried, hoping she had done it right. Hoping she hadn't drained more of the Clasma than she should have, or did not drain all the foreign substance. She still felt something around her. Some source of Clasma. She couldn't tell if it was coming from Asami. It confused her, but Asami was cured. Korra was sure of it. The embrace ensured her that Asami was saved.

"Korra," Asami said, nearly sobbing. "You came back. You came back for me."

"I promised you I would…I promised I would save you."

Asami said it, and Korra thought it at the same time:

_Thank you._


	45. Exodus

-Exodus—

The waters surrounding Republic City became violent. Waves crashed into the ports, crumbling the docks and overflowing into the streets, bringing with it debris from the boatyards. Some kind of raging tempest seemed to be approaching. The skies blackened and swirled around the city as if it was an eye of a hurricane.

Solomon stood at the top of Graft's tower. He looked out to the where the storm seemed to be coming from. He smiled. He was expecting something. The wind picked up. Lightning shot through the sky.

"It's nearly time, CHAOS. Time for me to lead you to the memorial."

At that instant, Solomon heard the screech of hundreds of drones. Their cries echoed through the streets off the buildings. Their eyes left a trail of red as they crawled out of windows and searched through the streets for their target.

"What is that?" Asami said, looking behind her.

"Drones. Disoriented ones now that Graft is dead," Korra said. The swift walking pace the two had been maintaining turned into a run. They headed for the police station, hoping to find the way to the tunnels underneath the surface which Qu had used as an exit. "Maybe Qu controls them now and has set them to kill all of us."

Asami had informed Korra that the rest of the Team was using some underground tunnel system as an escape route for survivors. The team had actually been successful in getting many non-infected survivors out.

"I remember it being underneath the police station," Asami said.

The two ran down the abandoned roads, fiends cowering in fear from the sight of Asami, still thinking that she was the merciless Queen of the East. _I guess getting infected wasn't all that bad_, Asami thought.

Korra stopped in the middle of the road. Not because she was tired. She thought she felt something.

"What is it? Come on, they are going to find us. I'm pretty sure the drones won't listen to me like these fiends still do," Asami pleaded.

Korra was experiencing a mixture of things. She was confused over how to process them and make a decision. Around her, fiends had backed away in fear of Asami. They trembled at the sight of her, and they waited for the two to pass. Korra initially stopped because she felt something underneath her. She felt strong cosmic energy, strong because it was very familiar energy. She looked into it and saw a memory of her about to kiss Mako. She quickly snapped herself out of it.

_Dammit, of all the memories to see._

She shook her head. "I think they are under us. Right now. I think those tunnels are right beneath our feet. I just felt them."

"There is a manhole a few feet away. Let's hurry up and go down. What's the problem?"

"It's just," Korra looked around at all the fiends looking at the two. They were innocent people whose lives had become ravaged by Graft and Qu's hands. It was not fair. But Korra could do something about it. "I could help them. I could save all of them from the Clasma. Just like I saved you." She walked over to a fiend, but he backed away and ran off.

"Korra you can't get to all of them before the drones come. I know you could handle a drone, but who knows how many are after us. It could be an army. I can still hear them." The screech of the drones was a constant high-pitch tone all around the city. "We have to think practically. Many survivors have gotten out. The fiends are quarantined. They will be okay here until we find a way to save them. But we should get out before it is too late for us, so that we can actually be alive to find such a remedy."

Korra could not decide. It was true that so many people had gotten infected. She would never be able to save all of them right now, and if she was successful in stopping Daya, maybe that would suppress all the adverse effects of Clasma since there would be no connection between a human's cosmic energy in the physical world to the entities in the Spirit World. Maybe they would be cured. But that wasn't all that bothered Korra. She was not sure if these fiends would survive here. Not because of Qu. Not because of the Clasma. But because there was an enormous monster coming right for the city as they stood there. A monster carrying all of the Spirit World within it. A monster carrying Daya. A monster known as CHAOS.

Korra felt it. She felt Solomon, somewhere in the city, his massive quantity of cosmic energy spreading, and when she looked to where it spread to, she found an even larger emission of cosmic energy, larger than she could even understand, coming from something in the waters and completely masking any detection of cosmic energy anywhere else.

_If I am the only one that can stop this, I guess I have no choice…_

The drones were closing in. Korra knew it. Their Clasma levels seemed so miniscule now compared to Solomon's. They needed to go before the vessel arrived. She didn't know what would happen, but Korra knew being in the city wouldn't be safe if she waited for Chaos's entrance.

"But I can't abandon them…"

"Korra," Asami said, but just then the earth began to shake. It felt like a quake, and the ground beneath Korra and Asami cracked. They fell through the street and into a tunnel.

"Was that a drone?" Asami asked, getting up and orienting herself.

"No," Korra said. She knew what it was. CHAOS had arrived. It's first step onto land had shocked the structure of the entire city.

Korra looked up and the street above her, several of the buildings dismantled. She couldn't go back now. It was too late. It was stupid of her to try and save everyone at this moment. She knew she did not stand a chance against the monster, the vessel. At least not now. She needed help. A plan. She would be back for the monster. For Daya. She would face it head-on. But she would only do it when she knew she could beat it.

"Let's get out of here."

A loud screech sounded in the tunnels.

"I definitely heard that one, Mako," Sydney said.

"It's probably just some fiends knocking around some cars." Mako said. He heard it too, but the last thing he wanted was for the group to panic, which was difficult given the state of everything. He tried to keep things under control by settling everyone's paranoia.

"No that sounded like a drone. And did you feel the earth shake a little? That must be a powerful earth bending drone." Bolin asked. The screech sounded again. It was clearly audible.

"That is them," Sydney said. One of the maintenance doors flew open and two drones came sprinting out. They were facing the opposite way, but once they turned to look at the group, their target suddenly switched and they drew their blades to attack. Sydney raised some water from nearby puddles and sliced the drones' blades off of their arms. Bolin strafed two rocks at both their feet and head, flipping them over.  
Two more drones appeared from the dark tunnel, jumping over the fallen drones' bodies. They stood up irregularly and spread their extra limbs, ready to attack the group.

Korra and Asami soon appeared out of the darkness. Korra drew her new katana and sliced one of the drones' legs off while Asami held off the other one. Soon Korra's hands were on both of them, and a few seconds later they fell to the floor, completely drained.

_Die in peace, now. I'm sorry, _Korra thought.

The team looked at Korra in confusion. She brushed passed them, trying to waive the shock of the situation. She had to get used to this kind of thing. She didn't have time right now. "Evening fellas. I know this seems a bit abrupt, me returning and all, again, but I wouldn't suppose you know of the quickest way out of the city? We need to leave this place if we want to live." She tried to dissolve the confusion so they could leave, prompting the group to continue moving but in the opposite direction. Asami assured the group of the urgency of the situation. Korra had only said something awful was coming for the city.

They walked through a series of tunnels, feeling the quaking periodically. Korra tried to keep them moving. Lights through the tunnels flickered. Mako lit a flame and the group held on the walls and each other so they wouldn't get separated. The vibrations from the surface traveled through the walls and into their hands.

"This is the fastest way out? It sure is taking a while…" Korra said, frustrated. She walked much faster than the group and was sweating profusely. She thought any minute the ceiling would cave in on them. That it would fall and crush her or any one of her friends and it could all be over just like that. She just needed to escape the city, then she could think calmly.

"This tunnel is the longest one. This road goes to The Kiyoshi Bridge. That's the East-West highway which goes pretty far into the continent, " Mako said, "I chose this tunnel because just up here there are some abandoned cars for us."

They found themselves in an open area. Mako was correct, cars were crudely parked and upturned all around them. An old satomobile still had doors and a functioning engine, as per Asami's inspection. She smashed out the window, setting of the alarm, and hotwired the car on instantly as well as pulling the wires triggering the alarm. This all took her about ten seconds it seemed. The remaining members followed the unspoken rule that Asami always drives.

Another quake erupted, and pieces of cinderblock fro the ceiling fell on the car, denting it. Korra felt the impending doom as she got in the front seat. Mako pointed to the tunnel through which they would be exiting. As they sped through the tunnel, he kept his eyes peeled on the road, hoping he would not find any bodies belonging to a survivor he had helped lead out.

"I'm tired of being out of the loop like this," Bolin said as he tightly held his radio spewing the usual static, waiting for some kind of news report to come on about what was happening. "Why do we suddenly have to leave? Why do you just come back and herd us out? We were doing something important."

"Because if we stayed, Solomon would have found us, and we would have been rubble, just like the city is going to be."

The end of the tunnel grew larger as they sped toward The Kiyoshi Bridge. The bridge was two layered. The top level led directly into the city on the surface, and the bottom level into the Roku tunnel, the exact tunnel through which the team was escaping. They shot out of the tunnel and through the second level. Bolin looked behind him, trying to see what was happening in the city. The upper level occluded his view. He noticed debris blowing in the wind, all going toward one place. Even the water began to rise out of the bay as if it was being waterbended by something. Something extremely powerful.

"What is that?" Sydney said quietly. Even O-Ren's constant bored face turned to one of confusion and fear as he saw the water rising. The sky was a dark purple color. It revolved around Republic City.

"Let me get on the upper level," Asami said as she maneuvered the car to a ramp up to the first level.

_Prepare yoursel_f, Korra thought.

The drove up to the surface, but it seemed as if there was still a ceiling above them. The sky was black until the end of the bridge. The team turned to look back. Before they could register what they were seeing, it looked like it was a giant black hole with no shape. Shards of skyscrapers, lit on fire, as well as the water revolved around the black hole. When they looked at it longer, they saw it take a concrete shape.

The beast took the form of some kind of massive, four-legged animal. It floated through the city and perched like a cat, but looked more like a panther more like a panther, in the center by Solomon Solutions. Its tail whirled around behind it, smashing and burning everything it touched. Everything about the creature's body was cat-like except for its head. Long strands hung from its head and it had a more defined face. More defined like a human's face. The entire head looked like that of a Sphinx. The creature looked as if it had purple fur, but a closer examination revealed that its skin was similar to the surface of a sun. Purple cosmic energy burned like fire, and flares occasionally erupted. Its eyes were green, and within the heat of the cosmic energy, there was the green glow of the Clasma within the creature. From the Spirit World. It stood frozen in front of Solomon Solutions, the wreckage and water of the city moving at its immediate command like moons around a planet.

"What is that?" Bolin asked.

"CHAOS."

From the peak of the Headquarters, Solomon climbed aboard CHAOS into a chamber protecting him from the flares. The beast broke its pause and continued to move through Republic City, making the bridge shake from the beast unreal power. CHAOS created its own path through the city by plowing through buildings, and sunk into the waters of Yue Bay, and was gone, slowly off to its destination in the Si Wong Desert. Republic City was left a wasteland. The team looked in horror at the place they had made their home completely leveled. At least most of them had spent their entire lives in that city, and now it was gone. They truly had nothing left but each other. They sat in silence, coming to terms with the situation and attempting to let go of the things that tied them to the once standing Republic City.

Asami continued across the bridge, through the mountains and onto the East-West Interstate Highway.


	46. East-West Highway

**/*many thanks for reading. Trying to finish this but school is kickin up and i don't want to sacrifice quality for speed. Anyways, next chapter hereee enjoy!*/ **

-East-West Highway-

_~Well I remember when_  
_You looked me in the eye, my friend._  
_"Back in no time," you said._  
_One thousand years ago._  
_Well I wanna know_  
_Where do we go from here?~_

As the car sped across the long, open roads of East-West Highway, the soothing but slightly eerie voice of a female singer singing the above lyrics from Bolin's radio was the only noise being made. The team was annoyed by the constant, random noise of Qu's offline station, but they were not sure they would prefer awkward silence instead, so they changed the station to a still-existing music station.

They had been on the road for hours. The sun had finally risen. Korra watched it rise over a mountain, the snow on top glistening. They had passed the rockier mountains which surrounded Republic City, and now found themselves driving through colorful fields and plains of the Earth Kingdom, grassier mountains lining the horizon. Korra thought she had forgotten what the sun looked like. Republic City always seemed to be existing in an everlasting night, and the Wastelands were an eternal gray.

The wind blew through the tall grass. Few cars passed them, surely not going to Republic City. Everything was so calm. They felt so distant from everything, from the tragedy they had evaded. The world looked safe here, as if it had no idea that a monster was moving through the oceans and planning to end the world. Maybe they could just stop somewhere, get off on one of the exits to a small town where no one would know of them or Graft or Qu, and they could get a house and start a new life. So far from danger, maybe it wouldn't reach them. Lost like some dream that would never actually come true, and everything would continue on normally.

Korra wished this were true. She wished being so far from CHAOS would mean Daya wouldn't actually carry out her mission, that it could all just be forgotten and pushed aside. She knew otherwise. Things wouldn't change. She would have to face CHAOS.

As glad as she was to be away from the tension in Republic City, she still felt like something had followed her out of the city. Like something was following her since she and Asami met up with the other members of the Team. She thought about everyone in the car and tried to think why any of them would give her this kind of scent. It was kind of like Clasma. She couldn't remember if Sydney was still infected with the stuff. It could have just been her, but the Clasma felt different, like it was not flowing through someone's body. She could see the trunk through the back seat and no one had stowed away. Her next hypothesis was that since Asami had been infected then drained, minimal traces of Clasma still remained in her. Negligible amounts. But Korra wouldn't able to sense it this easily. She could not pinpoint where the scent was coming from. She would have to see if anyone had accidentally snuck out a vial of Clasma without knowing it. The only one she would have been suspicious of was O-Ren, since she didn't know him at all, or Sydney, because she was one of Graft's old lab rats. She tried to think about other things, but stored this concern in her memory.

Bolin changed the radio back to the static station, hoping for someone to come on the air and transmit a message. O-Ren was dozing off. In his half-awake, half-asleep state, his mind began producing dreams, and the sounds around him in the real world became distorted. The white noise from the radio sounded like crying voices to him, like people talking to him and saying evil things. He sprung up, grabbed the radio from Bolin, and switched it off.

"Can't stand it anymore."

Bolin didn't say anything. He was wondering the whole time whether the sound was annoying to the others. "I was just waiting to see if there was any news about…" his voice drifted off.

"Well, I'm not just going to sit in silence," Mako said. "Maybe you can start by telling us what is happening?" He was talking to Korra. She glanced quickly at him then turned back.

"Why are you angry with me?"

"I'm not angry! Okay, I'm sorry if I sound like I am, but I just saw a gigantic monster completely wreck our city. Our home. Just walked through it like it was nothing. And all these things are just happening at once. I thought I had an idea of what was going on, but then this man shows up and kills Graft and nearly kills you as well, drags you away but you simply return a short time later, good as new. I don't know how Solomon came back, or what that monster was, but I have a feeling that you do, and it is frustrating when we are all so ignorant to the situation."

"Look I'm trying to figure this out, too, okay? It's not like I know the answer to everything just because I'm the Avatar."

O-Ren analyzed the two talking. The way Mako spoke to Korra sounded awkward to him, like a way of talking he had not noticed about Mako. He concluded something must have happened between the two friends and shrugged.

"Maybe…you should just tell us what you know, Korra, so we can figure this out together," Asami said, calmly and reassuringly. Korra sat in silence until she realized that this was the best option. It would be a long drive before they got to…wherever they were going.

"Alright," Korra sighed, "About a year ago I started training with my very Spiritual Uncle. He helped me understand the flow of cosmic energy, and as a result some channel between the Spirits and me was created. I was visited by a very angry Spirit, named Daya, who preached that the Spirit World was becoming unstable and that the human race needed to end. She said that since I was the Avatar, I had to be the one who ended mankind because I was the one who had to maintain the balance between the Spiritual and the physical world…but I would never agree to that. Instead, I came to Republic City to try and find the source of this instability. I knew something was happening there that was angering the Spirits. When I found out about Graft and his Clasma business, I thought that would be it. I thought that would solve the problem, bring balance back, so I made his downfall my mission, hoping Daya would be calmed.

"But apparently her strife with the human race dates back centuries, and she blames the Avatar's deviation from its true role for the persistent imbalance. She had been wanting to end this race for a while, but she never could because she literally had no energy. She used it all the create…things, but that isn't important. But when Amon took my bending away, she regained some of it, which was how she could speak to me. My refusal to fulfill her awful mission forced her to find someone else to do it, and she found Solomon, someone who hated the human race and would be easy to convince because he had visions of how the race should be, so she sent him back to Earth as, basically, an Avatar. So now that he is here, he acts like a correspondent for CHAOS, that monster you saw, which he will lead to a place in order to fulfill the beast's mission. The beast is a vessel that literally contains the Spirit World within it, and once it revives and releases an army from within it called the SPORE, the Spirit World will begin leaking out of CHAOS and smother this world as the SPORE collect the souls of humans. The physical world will end, everyone will become lost souls to be used by the Spirits to create another world. That is how it works, and I know that it does work because this world is the third world they have created, and soon it may be the third they wipe out."

"There have been worlds before this one?" Sydney asked.

"Yeah, and whenever the race advances to a certain point, the Spirits deem them a failure and end them."

"So then," Mako said, "How do we stop it?"

"Well that is the part I need help with. Daya controls the monster, all energy from the spirit world flows into the physical world through her, so killing her would probably do it. But there are a few issues with that. First off, I don't know to get inside the beast, which is where the Spirit World is. That thing isn't just going to let you in. And going through its mouth, it would no doubt just chew you up."

"Maybe if we weakened it or something?" Bolin asked.

"Sure, but what could we do to weaken that thing?" O-Ren pointed out. "It just stepped on our city. I don't think a few rocks or fireballs will even hurt. It looked like it was made out of fire."

"This is crazy. Why is this just dawning on us now? That there have been more than one world? That the Spirit World was angry with us?" Mako asked.

"No one knew," Korra said. "No one has the connection to the Spirit World except the Avatar, but how could the Avatar learn to do it being raised by the humans who did not know? Apparently, the four elements are not even close to the extent of the Avatar's powers. I learned a little energy bending when I…"

"Wait, where did you go?" Mako asked. "How are you back and 100%?"

"I went to the place left behind when the Spirit World was wrapped up in that beast. An old friend helped me."

Mako rubbed his head. "Fine. This is all too much, but we need, like, a clear plan or something. A step one. Should we first focus on weakening the beast? So that it will let us go inside of it?"

"It's not going to be so simple, Mako," Asami said. "You saw it. We would need an army to even hurt it."

"Well, what about the army?" Korra asked.

"Don't think it will be so simple to get them to help us," O-Ren said. "First off, we are terrorists, and secondly, Graft had made some deals with the armed forces and got them on his side, so I'd imagine they now report to Qu. They'd just kill us."

"Is there anyone who would leave behind their allegiance and help save this planet?" Asami said.

"What about Iroh? Has he given his allegiance to Qu as well," Korra asked.

"I'm not sure," O-Ren said. "I have not seen any news about him recently. I bet he's been sacked for refusing to work for Qu. That brings up another point, however. I am not entirely sure how many generals were willing to serve Graft and Qu, given their sketchy reputations. There are definitely those who are loyal to Qu, but I'm not sure the number. In any case, I'm sure that everyone Qu rescued from Republic City is completely loyal to him. So they wouldn't help us."

"I have a hard time believing that Iroh would serve Qu. In fact, I have a hard time believing anyone would, but maybe if we showed them the pathetic regime that Qu now runs, they would leave him. Qu would be nothing without his followers. And if we can get the forces on our side, maybe we would have some kind of chance," Mako said.

Korra thought about how small this chance was. Would guns actually be able to do anything to this monster? Would humans even stand a chance? One thing that was for sure was that at least an army would have some chance of getting CHAOS to open itself up, whereas the five of them had a zero chance.

"That sounds like a start, I guess," Korra said.

"So maybe we should figure out where we are going?"

Asami shifted gears. "We are on the East-West Highway. I didn't really have a destination in mind. Just trying to get far from the city. The Transcontinental Highway is too busy. We would probably be caught."

"Caught for what?" Korra asked.

"Qu's been broadcasting over the radio," Bolin said, "He said we are terrorists."

"What else has he said?"

"Nothing," Bolin said, "But that is because his transmissions keep getting interrupted by someone. Someone who is trying to make public the true nature of Graft and Qu."

This caught Korra's attention. "So then, it sounds like we aren't alone. Who are these people?"

"No idea. they've only broadcasted a few times."

"We should try and find them."

"If anything, it is just another group of people like us who are pretty tech savvy. I think we are better off going after Qu."

"In that case," Asami said, "I should set our course for the town of Metro. The mini-Republic City, except the buildings aren't as tall and the red tape isn't as thin. It is a little ways since I took this road, you know, because Metro is south and we are either going east or west. We should find some way to get to a different highway. But I don't think we can really do anything until I get some gas."  
She looked at her gas meter. 'E'. The light was on. She needed gas soon.

"At least we have some kind of direction," Mako said. Korra slumped in her chair.

"There is more to this whole thing," Korra admitted. "A reason it isn't going to be so easy, in addition to the obvious ones. In order to stop this, I need to suppress Daya, but doing so would sever a connection from the physical world to the Spirit World. Specifically, the connection that allows people to bend the elements."

The team didn't respond. They sat in silence contemplating the shocking news and imagining the strangeness of a world without benders.  
Asami broke the silence, "Um, I'll just stop here." she pulled into a gas station. They were in the middle of nowhere. Very few cars passed by. On the porch of the gas station, two older men sat in chairs, smoking in their old, dirty overalls straw and hats. They had black hair and one looked like a fire bender. They eyed the group as they pulled up to the pump.

"Fillin her up?" the man in the right chair asked Asami as she got out. She tried to cover her face as best as she could with her hair, and never looked directly at the man.

"Yes, please." She was thankful she still had money from her Clasma-dealing business.

"Gon have to pay inside. My friend and nephew will take care of filling it up for yeh."

"Oh, that is okay. I can pump it myself."

"Naw, I mean it is the law, you see? Employees have to do the pumpin. Tak! Sen!" The man in the other rocking chair stood and approached the car. A younger man walked out of the station and joined. "Now, you just follow me while these two do the dirty work."

Asami followed the man inside the building, but she kept her guard up. She looked back to see the older man take the gas pump and inject it into the car's gas tank.

"Hey," Asami said as she walked with the man, now determined to be the station manager, "I didn't pay yet. He better not be filling it…"

"Relax, we saw how much money you had. It's faster this way. You'll pay and be back on the road in no time. Not many people traveling on the East-West Highways these days. What brings you folks out on this road?" They reached the inside, which was a convenience store, and walked up to a counter with the cash register.

"Heading out West on the open road. Just road-tripping with some friends," Asami made up.

The man examined the cash register before saying, "Well, looks like this register has a bug. No worries, we got another one in the back. Excuse me for just a second." He walked along the aisles and into a room in the back where Asami could no longer see him. She heard him open a door. Behind her, she heard the sound of sweeping. Perhaps another of the station-owner's nephews cleaning the aisles, but she couldn't see him.

"Ma'am? I got a working one back here. It will be easiest if you come back here and pay for it. That way I don't gotta install the register n all, ya know?"

Asami hesitated. This didn't feel right to her. She felt like she was being watched. She looked outside and the two men just stood there talking while the car filled up. Something caught her eye behind the counter. There were eight identical meters. She knew they corresponded to the gas meters so that the clerk could measure and set caps on the amount of gas people got. But the strange thing was that they all read zero, even the pump that her car was using.

_Maybe they are just waiting until I pay…_

She turned to walk to the backroom, but kept her senses on edge. The sweeping sound followed her from the other side of the shelf she walked along. She turned a corner and saw the manager in another room on the far side of it. He looked up and smiled at her, gesturing her to come in. She walked toward the room, not letting herself look away from the man's eyes.

"Yeah, it'll be fine in here. Shouldn't be an issue."

She saw the door angled, it opened into the room. It was not completely 180 degrees opened. As she approached the entrance, she saw the manager smile at her then very quickly glance to his left, her right, as if he was looking at something that waited behind the opened door.

"Your meters aren't moving. I thought you said they were filling it up?" Asami asked.

"Oh those things are broken," he said nervously. He glanced quickly again in the same direction as before. Asami concluded that someone was waiting for her in that room and was hiding behind the door. As she walked in, she used all her strength to kick the door all the way open, hitting the man who was hiding behind it in the leg with the doorknob. The boy sweeping the aisles showing himself and was carrying a rifle as he walked toward the back room. He cocked the gun and aimed at Asami. She kicked the door closed and got low enough to miss the bullets that penetrated through the door. The force of the gunshot swung the door open again.

The boy with the rifle cocked the gun again, aimed to shoot, but the man behind the door got up and pushed the door shut to run after Asami. Asami ducked and the blow from the gun once again opened the door. The man who had been behind the door turned out to be a scout from Qu looking for Team Avatar. He drew a pistol, but Asami countered him and swung her foot into his face, knocking his head against a table. The manager to her left had now gotten a rifle as well and aimed it at Asami. She jumped and ducked behind a desk just as the man shot, and he ended up clipping the boy who was sweeping the aisles as he was cocking his gun. He dropped his gun and fell to the ground in pain.  
The manager tried to quickly reload his gun, but Asami jumped from behind the desk and grabbed the barrel of his rifle. He didn't give up so easily. He struggled to regain control of the gun. The two wrestled over the rifle, then he spoke.

"Fight me all you want! Kill me even. It doesn't matter, I've already called the police. They will be here for you and who knows what they will bring! Besides, your car and everyone that was in it is probably rubble by now. My two friends out there are damn good fire benders."

Outside, Korra and the gang waited in the car. Mako tried to look into the store to see if he could see Asami. He just saw the two men with their backs faced to the car, talking about something muffled through the walls of the car.

"What is taking her so long?" Mako said. "I thought she was just paying. They've been refueling this car for a while now."  
"Really, it doesn't even feel like they started," O-Ren said. "Man, do I wanna get out and stretch my legs."

"Do you think they recognized us?" Sydney asked. Korra became anxious and scared. How did she know Asami wasn't dead? _Shit, how could I be so stupid?_

The two men nodded at each other. They walked over to the pump and flipped a switch. Korra heard the sound of gasoline flowing into the vehicle now. The taller, older man walked to the gas tank of the car. Korra suddenly felt the movement of Chi within him. It was hot. He was a fire bender, and he was lighting a fire with his hands right next to a tank filled with gasoline. His hands were occluded below the window so the rest of the group couldn't see them, but Korra knew for sure that was what he was doing.

"Shit, he's going to firebend the gas tank!" Korra yelled. She kicked at the door to get out, but O-Ren was the first to react. He twisted the metal roof of the vehicle off, quickly rolled it until it was compact, and hit the older man in the face with it, giving him a nasty wound and rendering him unconscious.

The younger nephew began to firebend at them, but Mako was out of the car in time to counter his attacks so that the fire didn't reach the car. There were several buckets with water to wash the windshields. Sydney summoned the water from these buckets and encased the nephew in a block of ice.

Inside, Asami continued to wrestle for the gun. She and the manager held it and faced each other. They spun around, trying to force the other off, and when Asami found that she had more control over it, she quickly withdrew the gun from the manager's hands and sent him out a window. She took the pistols from Qu's scout and ran outside to see one of the men lying bloodied and out cold, and the other frozen.

"I think it's time to go."

**/* Lyrics from M Machine - Moon Song. Great Song. */**


	47. Reunion

-Reunion-

Asami asked no questions about the unconscious man or the one encased in ice. She simply jumped in the driver's seat through the opening in the roof. O-Ren replaced the gas cap and the rest of the group got in and were back on the East-West Highway, looking for a way to get on a perpendicular road.

"Guys inside that damned place tried to kill me. Got their guns, though. Guess they didn't know who they were messing with. The thing that sucks is, they called the cops on us," Asami said.

"You think we should ditch the car?" Bolin asked, still grappling his radio.

Asami looked ahead down the road. It was so open out here. The road was empty, and she almost laughed to herself at how ridiculous they must have looked driving in that car with the roof ripped off. She felt like a sitting duck. Anyone could easily find them.

"We got to get off of this road," Asami said.

"Don't think it is going matter," Korra said as she saw two military crossroad vehicles come into view behind them in her side view mirror. The gigantic tires on the vehicles told Asami they would have no problem catching her if she decided to off-road it. The team's car was a simple sedan that would have zero driving on anything but roads, and at the moment it was having difficulty doing that.

"Damn," yelled Asami. " If they catch up to us they are just going to run us over in this hunk of garbage. Look at those tires. This car ain't got much life left in it. Looks like we are going to have to give them a hard time, then shall we?" Asami drew the pistol she had stolen from the scout at the gas station.

"Can you use that thing well?" Korra asked.

Asami loaded and cocked one of the guns. "Oh yeah. I'll be fine. Hand-to-hand wasn't the only thing I learned how to do when I was younger, that is just what my dad thinks. Never had an opportunity to use one during the whole Equalist thing. Mako or Bolin, can you take the wheel? I can provide us some cover."

"Yeah I gotcha," Mako said.

"What exactly are you going to do?" O-Ren asked. "Kill them?"

"Hopefully not," Asami said as she climbed back. "They are a bunch of idiots for coming after us, though since we are the ones trying to save their asses."

"What if they aren't trying to capture…" Sydney started to say but she was cut off by the sound of a man speaking through a megaphone. There was a speaker on top of the military vehicles. Within them, the soldiers spoke through a microphone.

"_**THIS IS THE UNITED FORCES. YOU ARE ORDERED TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. YOU ARE ALL ENEMIES OF THE STATE AND IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WE WILL HAVE TO USE FORC**_E."

"United Forces? They sent the United Forces after us!? Jeez, I didn't realize how serious Qu was in making everyone think we are terrorists," Mako said.

Asami peered over to see. "Yeah, but there are only two of them. If we are really thought to be responsible for assassination and the destruction of Republic City, wouldn't they send more? And wouldn't they just blow us up rather than chase us down? They don't really seem to be doing a good job of this. Where are all the airships? Well, anyway," she prepared to shoot.

"You never answered my question," O-Ren said. "What are you going to do? Shoot at their military vehicles? You have a dinky pistol. They _will_ just blow you up if you start shooting with that. Plus what if they are all jacked on Clasma?"

Asami smiled slyly. "There are a few things I learned while my business was getting stepped on by Graft and slowly dying. Graft's stolen all of my customers by getting the government to absorb all of the companies, and that means he was able to convince them to change the supplier for the United Forces from many different companies to just him. He got them on his side with his big, flashy, "indestructible" cross road vehicles. Well, I'll admit they are very powerful vehicles. He demonstrated that by firing multiple weapons at those vehicles and those bullets hardly affected them. Good, right? Smart. I'd next like to direct your attention to this gun, designed by Graft once again. Notice this attachment," she flipped the gun around to show an attached component that was appended to the handle of the gun. "A nice attachment that strengthens the pistol tenfold. Or something. Good, right? All seems well except a very significant hole that would form in his business plan under the right conditions. Those conditions being an enemy coming into possession of one of these guns. Because if that were to happen, the invincibility of his vehicles would mean nothing, because do you want to know what he did to demonstrate the power of these guns?" She stood up in the back seat, quickly aimed and shot out the front tires of one of Graft's vehicles. "THAT!"

The giant military vehicle spun out and flipped over.

_That was too easy_, Asami thought, surprised. The other vehicles continued after them. She took aim again, but found that her pistol had become jammed. The enhancing mechanism was malfunctioning. As she reached for her other pistol, two metal wires extended from a metal bender in the military vehicles and quickly came toward her. O-Ren shot up and redirected the wires deep into the road, forcing the metal bending soldier out of the vehicle as it drove on. A few rocks zoomed toward her as well but Bolin easily countered them with other rocks, allowing Asami to safely take aim again with the second pistol and shoot out the tires on the remaining vehicle, which spun out just the same.

Asami was confused. "That was it? That was pathetic. I thought it would take a few more shots. That was definitely a different design than I remember."

"They changed it?" Mako asked.

"Yeah I guess. They must be trying to upgrade or something but that was worse than before." Asami looked at the added component on her pistol. "And this just jammed up immediately. Faulty designs."

"What are you thinking?" Korra asked.

"Not sure. That was a pathetic attempt at capturing us. It's like they were disorganized and just bent stuff at us. No strategy. Not even any guns. And for some reason it looks like their equipment is changing but it's becoming worse than it was. I wonder what happened." Asami looked at her gun, trying to fix it.

"Yeah," Bolin said, "Even their airships look different." The team simultaneously turned around at this. Behind them, beyond the upturned military vehicles, an airship was flying toward them. It showed off the seal of the United Forces.

"I don't think a few bullets is going to hurt that thing," O-Ren pointed out.

"Worth a try anyway," Asami raised her weapons and fired the remaining bullets out of the guns at the airship as it approached. She fired about eight shots until the guns jammed up again, but it appeared as though one of her bullets had taken off one of the airship's propellers. She tossed the useless weapons out of the car. "Pieces of junk. Looks like I hit something, though. Their artillery really sucks…" just as she said that a missile shot from the airship and hit the road next to their car, causing Mako to lose control of the wheel. The car swerved to avoid the new hole made by the airship's missile and flew off the road into the grass.

"This car isn't designed for this terrain. You won't get anywhere," Asami said as Mako pressed on the gas, feeling defeated. She was right, the car was barely able to move anymore.

"What should we do, Korra?" Mako asked. Korra looked behind her at the approaching airship. Another missile was visible and prepared to fire.

"Get the hell away from here," she said urgently as the Team jumped out of the car, some through the open roof. They sprinted from their car across the grass as the ship fired another missile, but this one was not as direct in its trajectory as the first one. It seemed to have caught something as it fired. It flailed around in the air and went in random directions before it struck the ground nowhere near the Team. They continued running when they heard the explosion far away. "It looks like there are some woods up ahead. Maybe we can hide there under the trees."

"Yeah, unless they are just going to blow up everything until they kill us," Bolin said.

"You guys," Sydney yelled, "They aren't even getting close to hitting us. Their last missile just malfunctioned and landed way over there. I think we can make it."

"They have to run out of missiles or gas or something soon," Korra yelled.

The ship prepared another missile, but its entire structure was moved suddenly as if something strong had pushed it forcefully. The Team heard a loud crash and looked to the sky to see what was happening. The ship was gliding quickly away from where it had been before. A small white cloud about a quarter of the size of the airship rested in the air.

The group stopped running to watch. "What is that thing?" Sydney asked. "It looks like an animal or something."

Korra couldn't believe it. She smiled. "Oogi."

From high in the sky, Tenzin commandeered the flying bison. The force of his air bending and Oogi's mass was enough to do some damage to the airship and push it away. Another person was on the bison with Tenzin.

"Fly closer, Tenzin. I want to show this world that even without my bending, single-handedly bringing down a flying hunk of metal is still a Bei Fong past time."  
Lin drew her mother's hand-crafted sword and leaped onto the airship. From one side, she stuck her sword deep into the ship surface and sprinted across the other side, easily tearing a hole into it. A metal panel was punched off from the inside and two soldiers ran out to stop her. Still with her sword in the ship, Lin slid down the side of the airship, continuing her critical tear. She removed the sword as she approached a propeller and sliced it off along with a few exhaust pipes. Using her feet, she pushed herself away from the ship and was free falling until Tenzin flew underneath her and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto his bison.

"Again, I need to do a little more damage before that thing falls."

"What about the soldiers?"

"Just stick by. I'll take care of them. I'm pretty sure I know who is flying this thing anyway. I'd like to have a word with him if I may?"

"Just don't do anything rash, Lin."

"Sure thing, captain."

Lin stepped off the bison while it flew above the now torn apart airship. She landed on the far side from where the soldiers were. They were attempting to mend the metal tears, but Lin just made more. They charged at her and tried to subdue her with their metal wires. She easily dodged their attacks and cut their metal wires into little segments as they came at her. She dug her sword back into the ship and ran across the side until she got to the rudder. Without pulling her sword out, she ran alongside the rudder so that she was cutting its attachment to the ship. The tears in the ship's steering mechanism caused it to swerve uncontrollably. The quick turn made Lin lose her balance and she almost fell off the ship but she held on to her sword still lodged into the rudder. The other metal benders weren't as lucky.

The ship started to go down. The pilots inside where trying to stabilize it, but Lin's damage had been too much too quick. The machine would not fly again. Lin looked at the mountains that the ships was quickly descending into. She anxiously looked below her dangling feet.

_Any day now, Tenzin._

Just then, a metal bender appeared on the rudder. Lin was not surprised to see him, but the same couldn't be said for him when he saw her.

"You! How are you here!?" He yelled.

"I'm a hard person to run away from, Rong. And I'm even harder to kill."

"We'll see about that. You don't realize the extent to which I've been practicing, just so I could face you like this and prove that I am superior and I always have been!"

"Well, I'm sorry to ruin that opportunity, but I must be off. You might want to try and fix this ship before it crashes into those mountains and blows you up." Lin let go, although Tenzin was not yet beneath her. She fell for a while and started to get scared that he wouldn't show when finally through the wreckage a white fluffy bison flew toward her and in the next instant she was safely next to Tenzin.

"Job's done," she said, but looked up to see Rong pushing himself off the falling mass of metal with his metal wires and land on the bison next to her. The force of his impact and his extra weight made Oogi quickly descend in altitude. Lin wrestled with Rong, trying to prevent him from metal bending anything at her or Tenzin while he continued to steer Oogi. She got behind him and used her sword to start detaching the supply of wires attached to his back as part of his metal bending armor she remembered once wearing. He fought back and she kicked him off the bison, but the little wire he still had left he used to wrap around her and pull her off with him.

The two landed hard on the grass and rose to face each other. Separated by a small distance. They panted as the ship they were once standing on crashed and burned at the foot of a nearby mountain. She and Rong were several hundreds of meters from the rest of Team Avatar. The Team waited for Tenzin's bison to take them over to where Lin was. As they boarded the bison, Tenzin double-took when Korra and Asami stood there.

"Korra..." he said, confused that these two were both alive and perfectly well.

"Yeah, we can discuss later," Korra said as they got on Oogi.

Lin continued to stare at Rong, and he at her.

"How can you possibly think what you are doing is the right thing?" she asked him.

"You killed Graft. Your hatred for the Republic of Nations has made you a terrorist. I will prevent more killing by ending you."

"That is what Qu has told you. Qu has lied to you, Rong, and while you stand there trying to kill us, the real danger, the one who actually killed Graft, is out there and is about to do something even worse. He'll kill Qu just like Graft, and he'll kill us, too. No one is safe from him, but we are trying to stop him. Why do you stand in our way when all we are doing is saving you?"

"Enough with your lies, Lin! I'll show you how wrong you've been about me!"

"Is this about doing what is right, or is this about proving yourself to me? Proving that you're better than me? Why does that matter now?"

"I'm proving that what Graft had in mind for this world was a better one, and the only way we can be better is by bending. Bending is superior! Bending makes us gods! Without it, we are weak, useless, just like you! And now," he was yelling, his face had turned red and veins were pulsing, "Now I'll demonstrate what a true god's power is!"

With the supply of wire that Rong still had, he extended them as if they were his elongated, metal arms. Like metal tentacles. He had complete control over them. Lin slowly pulled her sword out, ready to cut through any wave of metal he was about to send her way.

Rong rotated his arm back, preparing for his first blow, when he suddenly stopped. The veins in his face were pulsing more than ever, now. It turned from red to purple. He was struggling to breathe now and it looked as if he was having a heart attack. Lin was confused as to what he was doing, then became worried when she thought she realized what was happening.

He was dying. In his mixture of grunts and groans, he struggled to get a questions out to her, "What…what did you…do to me?" His metal wires fell to the ground. His arms were shaking, and soon he fell to the ground in a seizure.

Lin ran toward him. "Rong! Rong what is it? What's wrong?"

"MY…MY ARMS…MY…GAH!"

"It's the metal bending," O-Ren said. The Team had caught up to Lin by now. "He's going to pass out, although he looks worse than…"

"Rong! Stop metal bending! Stop trying to control the metal! Just relax! it's killing you!" Lin yelled sternly. "You're going to DIE if you don't relax yourself."  
Rong's body continued to shake. He wasn't listening to her. His stubborn rejection of Lin, his refusal to ever follow one of her orders again and his pride for himself and his bending were all causing his slow death.

"Dammit, Rong, you don't have to die! I'm sorry for whatever I've made you feel about yourself. I would never want this to happen, and I don't want it to happen so please just listen to me so you don't let this consume you."

Finally, Rong concluded his life was more important to him than his pride, and he relaxed himself. He discontinued his attempts to bend against Lin, and within seconds his shaking stopped and he fell unconscious. Lin checked his pulse, and he was still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat in silence. Seeing Rong nearly die reminded her of the people who may not have survived the airship crash. The airship she had just torn apart. They had fallen off the ship and she had no control. Of course, her mission to destroy the ship was ultimately the cause of their downfall. But Lin knew her airships, and she knew that taking that airship down was not a difficult feat. If anything, she showed those men how vulnerable and mediocre their newest airship design was. But there was still no rationalizing lost lives.

_There was no other way to stop them_, she thought. They had to go down. Tenzin looked at the crash site in the distant, whispering words to himself, condemning himself for the potential deaths of several people.

Lin pushed her remorse out of her mind and stood, "How long will he be out?"

"Few hours I suppose," O-Ren answered.

"Good, leaves us some time to get out of here before more show up."

"How did you find us?" Asami asked.

Lin thought about answering the question before she realized who had asked it. The last time she had seen Asami her mind was completely overtaken by the Clasma. She had become a mental case and now here she was back in her normal state. Lin looked around and spotted Korra, who was also completely unwounded. It was as if she had never even received Solomon's beating in Graft's office. Like none of that even happened.

Lin sighed, and Korra knew exactly why after the two made eye contact. "It's obvious that I am missing something, it looks like. But we don't have much time. We found you from the broadcastings. We caught a transmission saying the terrorists of ONI were on East-West Highway. The Avatar was in there, too. Once we had that it was relatively simple to find you. Only ones on this road. Everyone else is packing the Transcontinental Highway."

"You were able to get those transmissions? How? Our radio has been nothing but noise and weird music?" Mako asked. Lin held up a small radio.

"With this. It picks up the frequency ranges that police and military transmit over. An emergency had arisen when I had seen Tenzin back to his family out west, and so we had to set out East again."

"On the way back," Tenzin said, "We happened to come across a small group of people in a town who wanted to speak with us. One of them was carrying this radio, and when we asked about it he just gave it to us. They didn't tell us much more before we had to be going, but he said we need it more than he did."

"What is the emergency?" Bolin asked. Lin looked at Tenzin, who looked depressed upon hearing the question. Lin cast the question aside for now.

"Enough questions. We shouldn't talk about this now. We should keep moving. Get away from this place before more of Qu's men show up."

"We were heading for Metro," Korra said. "I can fill you in on what is happening on the way."

"Oogi won't be able to travel long with all of us on his back. We may need to stop after a while and travel on foot," Tenzin said.

"Anything is better than here," Lin said. "Let's move."


	48. Fireside Tales Part 1

-Fireside Tales Part 1-

It had been a long day.

The entire Team was feeling it. The sun had gone down at the end of what seemed like a never-ending day. Watching their city become rubble under the feet of CHAOS that morning, that seemed like a year ago. Most of the Team caught up on some much-needed sleep while they soared over the trees slowly on the back of Oogi. As they slept, Korra informed Lin and Tenzin of the dire situation at hand.

Korra refused to sleep. Her eyes were peeled open as she scanned the sky, looking for more of Qu's men and, more importantly, looking for Solomon and CHAOS. She knew she would not see him. CHAOS was somewhere submerged deep in the ocean. The sun going down reflected across the sky, making it turn a bright red as if it was on fire.

_Soon, it just might actually be_…, Korra thought, sadly. It was such a beautiful sky, or at least it would have been had it not reminded her of the world's impending doom.

"What is going to happen to us?" Tenzin had asked. "How is he going to end it?"

"When CHAOS reaches the memorial in the Si Wong Desert, he'll revive an army called the SPORE who will start collecting souls. This will create a channel between the Spirit World within CHAOS and the physical world. It basically is going to start leaking out of the beast and overtaking this dimension. After a long time, everyone will become nothing but a sea of energy, Spirits will escape through CHAOS and roam the planet, bringing down any remnants of the human race, any survivors will be killed. When the Spirits who created this world escape from CHAOS, they will start building their new world, and the sea of cosmic energy that the human race becomes will give them the power to do this, to create another new race."

"So, then there will be a time period between Solomon reviving these "SPORE", and when they've actually dismantled this planet?" Tenzin asked.

"Once they start, the Spirit World will begin leaking out into this one. The line between the two dimensions will become…fuzzy, but yes, it isn't an instantaneous process. Why? Korra asked"

"It's good to know how much time we have. At least if we cannot stop Solomon before he reaches the desert, all hope won't be lost. We will still have our composition after that time before the world comes to an end."

"True, but after he reaches the Memorial, he'll have an army of Spirits on his side."

Tenzin stroked his beard, thinking about what Korra was telling him. He was about to conclude something but noticed that Oogi was getting tired. He wanted to rest. Tenzin steered Oogi down into the woods where the Team made a small camp and allowed the bison to sleep for the night.

A small fire was made. The team was re-energized after their naps and gathered the wood to make the fire. O-Ren taught the team how to start a fire without using bending, since it was going to come in handy if they succeeded. Tenzin gave Bolin a blanket, and he put it around Sydeny, who was thankful for it. The two sat very close to each other, and Sydney was happy to have someone as caring as Bolin in these difficult times. Korra pulled her knees up to her chin as she silently and solemnly watched the fire burn. It all reminded her of destruction, and she was sad. The army that she was going to Metro to try and recruit had just tried to kill her earlier that day. How would they be of any help to her? Did they know the danger the world faced? Was Qu just keeping it all a secret and blaming it on her?

"So, after this long day of almost dying and pain and world ending talk, how about some nice campfire stories we can all enjoy before starting back up on our journey tomorrow?" Bolin said, trying to reintroduce some comic relief, as he was prone to doing.

"What is bothering you, Korra?" Tenzin asked.

"In addition to the fact that the world might end?"

"Or not," Bolin said, sadly. Korra looked at him, annoyed but apologetic. She couldn't get her mind off of all this. She had so many questions. What she thought was a clear direction suddenly became so cluttered and confusing when she thought about the magnitude of the decision she would have to make. She was only one person, and finding the support she needed would be one thing. The world after the potential end of bending was a whole other issue.

"I understand the pressure of that. That is not what I am asking. I mean what is holding you back from going through with this? Why do I get the feeling you have doubts?"

"Well…" she didn't want to mention to any of them her unfortunate fate if she succeeded, but that was not the only thing that bothered her,  
"It's just…first of all, I am not sure of our chances of succeeding. They could be so low that this isn't even worth it, you know? If we somehow got the help we needed and were able to stop the Spirits, what then? We would all lose our ability to bend."

"But it's that or we all die, Korra," Mako said.

"Yes…I know, but who am I to decide that the whole world loses their bending? Who are we to make a decision for millions of people? There are obviously those who would kill for their bending. Does that mean we should find another way? Another way so we don't lose our bending? What is important to these people?"

"It's either bending or our lives," Lin said.

"And that is another thing, how do I know we'll even survive if we succeed? What if bending is what keeps us alive? Will we be able to function and survive without those who can bend? It's all we've ever had. This world has turned to it to solve their problems. They've turned to me. The Avatar. But what are they going to do when they don't have that anymore? Are these kinds of tyrannical governments going to continue ruling and tear people apart?"

Korra stood to walk off her frustration. She walked to the edge of their lit campsite and looked blindly into the darkness of the woods. The bright moon shine through the trees, connecting all water benders to the Spirits, allowing them to bend.

"I'm wondering if bending is the reason this is all happening," Korra said. "I'm wondering why we still have it. Aang told me we couldn't get rid of it, there are people who depend on it, but the Spirits who gave us the power to bend did it so that we could survive. But it's been centuries, surely we can survive without it by now. But the Spirits think otherwise, and who knows what the population thinks. It's obvious that Qu's men see the value in it."

The Team sat in silence, anxiously watching korra as she thought. No one knew how to respond. The question was tough. Not only would killing the Spirit be hard, but they were not sure what would happen after.

"My father…he spoke to you?" Tenzin asked. "What did he say?"

"He said that bending was important. Too important to go away. He just didn't want me to kill Daya to solve this. He said doing so would implant permanent strife in the connection between the physical world and the Spirit World. I know that is true. I know it wouldn't be good, it wouldn't bring the necessary balance. But I've been thinking that there has never really been a balance. The Spirit World has mingled in human affairs for as long as we have existed because of bending. That is their constant intervention in our lives. If only there was some way for them to see that. If only they could see that…they just need to let us live on our own. Without their help. Had they done that, had they let us advance without their help, I don't know if this all would be happening. I wish Aang were right. I don't want to kill Daya, I want her to see that what she is doing is wrong. That the cycle needs to end. But how do I know that? How do I know what is best? What do the humans want? If it were up to them, how do I know they wouldn't choose to keep their bending, that they would rather find some different way so that they could keep bending even if it meant risking their lives by delaying a solution?"

"You have a lot on your mind, Korra," Tenzin said. "You need to take a deep breath and take it one step at a time. This isn't something one person can deal with alone. Not even the Avatar." One thing Korra had said in all this seemed to have passed over everyone else's head except his. The world would no longer have an Avatar to turn to if Korra were to kill Daya. Tenzin wondered what killing Daya would mean for Korra's existence. He could see she was holding back some of the facts, but he didn't want to press on while she was in this rather unstable state. "Korra, I think you would be surprised. Aang has told you that people rely on bending, that changing things would disrupt our existence, but Aang lived in a different time. Things have changed since he was here."

Korra pouted. "I want to see proof of that. I want to see what this world has become. I want to go to Metro and see the people we are saving. I don't want to save a world if the people are just going to end up destroying it. I'm not going to turn my backs on them, but if I am going to go after CHAOS, I want to meet these people, I want them to know what I am doing for them. It isn't for pride. It's so that they are prepared. It's so they know Qu and his regime are the true villains. It's so I know what bending truly means to them, to everyone, and we can make our decision, to go after Daya, or find another way to end this. I'll leave it up to them. I just have to know. I just have to know what bending means to them. I have to know that Graft wasn't correct, that bending is held as more important than anything else. That love and humanity haven't been sacrificed by these people for bending. For power." She threw a stick into the fire. "That is my campfire story, Bolin. My plight."

He was silent for a while. Korra didn't mean to be mean to him. She knew he was just trying to lighten the mood.

"Anyone else want to go?" He said, depressingly. No more energy in his voice.

~O-Ren's Tale~

"Sure," O-Ren said. "I have a story to tell. Maybe, it can give you a little insight. Maybe…it can be of some help to you, Korra, as you try and make your decision.

"A lot of what I have told you guys about myself is a lie. I never grew up with some bipolar disorder. I was one healthy boy who knew how to earthbend pretty damn well. I lived with my family, my biological parents, the foster part was a lie, but I only realized that recently. My dad actually was an engineer at the Cabbage Corp. He couldn't bend, but the work he did and the ideas he conjured were, in my opinion, much better than anything I could do with bending. I admired him for everything he did. I figured I could never be as smart as he was. I looked through his designs for motors and they were all so complicated but he was renowned at the Cabbage Corp for his energy saving models. I could go on about how much I looked up to my dad for being so damn smart, for acquiring so much by using his brain and following his ambition.

"Following his ambition. That was something he was able to do. That was how he was able to survive and raise others like myself. He started with nothing but ambition, and that ambition drove him to learn, to better himself to the point where he knew how to build better technology. Where he knew how to bring us into the future. He was an epitome of human power.

"I looked up to him, but I didn't want to be what he was. I could never be that smart. But he was able to do what he did because he lived in a world that was free. Free such that when he had an ambition, a vision, and the drive to fulfill that vision, he had the tools and capabilities to do so. His hard work would get him to where he wanted to be, and nothing like government or Spirits would stop him from doing what he loved and bringing to us a world that was better. From leaving behind a legacy. So instead of help him, my dream was to protect this kind of world. To protect the idea of a free market where people who wanted to be something could do it through hard work. Protecting this idea from tyranny and dictators who would rip that right away from us in an instant.

"Early on in my life, I wanted to protect this concept of free will, and to do so I figured the best option would be to join the United Forces. That way, I would be on the frontline, fighting against any army that would dare threaten the freedom of the Republic of Nations. I cared about that the most. But when I thought the threats to this idea were external…well, I was wrong.

"Finally, I had proven myself and I was off to boot camp. Off to start my dream. To do what I wanted. To fulfill my vision and help protect the new society we would advance toward. But the threat was never on the outside. It was right under our noses.

"I was "selected" one day for advanced training. Randomly, I guess. My eager self was excited. I knew it was no random act. I had learned all the drills perfectly, I could disassemble a gun and reassemble it in seconds. I could earthbend like a master and no one stood a chance in a brawl against me. I walked happily to my advanced training. I was told I would be put on a mission. A mission! In case you don't realize, I thought I was nowhere near done my training, but they were already considering me for duty. I felt so accomplished you see?

"But something weird happened. They took me to this place for testing. Just standard testing they said, but it wasn't. It was being directed by a man named Solomon, only it wasn't Solomon, it was Graft assuming Solomon's identity. And there was another one there as well. He called himself Colonel Milan. General Milan was a big earth bender with long hair. That was the first time I saw Graft. Can you guess the tests they were doing? Clasma testing. Testing his newest Clasma's ability to establish a controlling mechanism between soldier and general. General gives a command, and the soldier does what he is told. They had somehow created a new strand of Clasma that was moldable once it was implanted into its host, so they must have molded it to influence its host, myself, to accept any commands from Graft or Milan. And these tests were only for the best soldiers. Like creating robots. Colonel Milan must have had a high standing in the United Forces. He allowed it. He formed some kind of partnership with Graft. They had not been doing this testing for very long before I got there and screwed everything up.

"So I get to this "pre-drone" experiment as I will call it. They tell me it is standard procedure to inject this "vaccine" that will protect me against chi blocking. Really, it was just Clasma. Clasma that would disrupt my whole inner structure. Then they would tell you a few things. Colonel Milan would almost hypnotize you. I suppose this was their way of molding the Clasma. Generate new personality traits, change your object of loyalty from anyone else to them. Most of their subjects had positive results to the Clasma. They left feeling almost no different except that their loyalty to Milan shot up tenfold. My only conclusion is that they had weak minds.

"Well anyway, my reaction was not so great. They tried to tell me to be loyal to them, to die for them no matter the circumstance, but the combination of this and the Clasma made my mind think some weird things. It interpreted the message differently, and I started thinking that Colonel Milan was my father. But my memories of my real father rejected this. So I was confused, and they could tell it was failing. Graft ordered Milan to end the test, calling it a failure. Milan refused to do so. He would not have me ruin his chances of getting an army of robots like the others, but there was nothing he could do. He screwed up with me. The Clasma told me Milan was my father and that I had to do his will, but of course my drive, my reason for being there, was powerful enough to fight against these lies. So in the end, these two different ideas of my identity, of my loyalty, caused me to become bipolar in my memories and attitude, but only when I was around Milan.

"So coming out of there, I was very confused. I had two different ideas of who I was, of where I came from and what my upbringing was like. I suddenly felt like I never had a father because my brain told me I was not loyal to my actual father but to someone I couldn't remember, and I couldn't remember because the part of my brain that fought against the Clasma suppressed the memory of Milan poisoning me. It was all very weird, and I wanted answers, but Milan and Graft disappeared, and the forces discharged me for mental instability, as per Milan's request.

"I should have been distraught at this, but I couldn't recall the burning passion I had for joining the army. I returned to Republic City very confused about who I was. I couldn't find work anywhere because every job just thought I was crazy. I began thinking I was a bad seed or something. Like I was a criminal and had done something wrong. I saw my father again, but I was sure he was not my real father.

"Anyways, soon Lin found me and put me on the force. I felt good. I felt like I had a purpose and was slowly finding myself again. Helping people. That made me feel good, and so I stuck with that. I became happy again. I liked Lin. She was a great leader, and I figured I could do some great things working for her. Believe it or not, I saw a better side of humanity as a cop. I saw people who gave their lives for others. I saw people who stood up for others to stop an evil. I saw people die so that others could live peacefully. The experience as a cop truly affected me.

"Well as you all know, Amon's little skirmish really changed things around Republic City. Lin felt she had to install a metal bender as chief, which you didn't by the way, you were more than capable of doing it, but whatever. So she puts this guy, Qu, in charge. And soon I can't think straight. I can't remember why I am doing anything important. And I lose my purpose and sense of identity again. I suddenly suck at my job and Qu immediately throws me out. Just gets rid of me. That was when I found a job at the factory and met Mako. That was also when I witnessed the rise of Graft, and I swore I knew him from somewhere. He invoked a memory of something, deep within me, and eventually I rediscovered my drive to protect the freedom of people like my father, who work hard for their rewards, and Mako and I did the only things we could think of: we tried convincing the people that what Graft was doing was fundamentally wrong and an attack to human justice. We did that through vandalism. Yes that was us…

"It wasn't until I was in Graft's presence that I remembered more about what he did to me. He knew I thought of Colonel Milan as my father but I'd get sick when I was around him. Colonel Milan had agreed to let Graft do those tests on his advanced soldiers to try and create the perfect soldier that would die for Milan without a second thought. The first step was finding a way to control them, but my failure drove Graft away from the United Forces. He said it was too risky, so they needed to start somewhere that was not so strictly watched. He thought Republic City was a safer place to operate. Rather than working under the noses of strict generals who could see the unethical things he was doing, he could operate in secrecy in the city, be seen as nothing more than a rising business, and when the time came use the wonderful results of his experiments to win over the government and the people he believed to be so dumb. He needed help. He needed someone on the inside, someone that would help him build an army of Clasma-induced super-soldiers. Milan was willing to do it once again. Milan craved for the power that Graft was striving for. He had no concern for the people he subjected to these tests, so long as he rose.

"Graft's words to me suddenly clarified to me the reason I was feeling sick again. Milan had come to the city, my fake father, and shaved off his hairy head and took the name Qu to be named chief by Lin. To be named the chief who would have the loyal police force at his disposal for more testing, and the only person smart enough to discover his intentions was hated by the entire force," He looked at Lin.

"so that is my little tale of Qu's origins. Qu the one who believes bending and power and control are more important than human lives. Who took from me my inspiration which had driven me to become the person I was. Which would have driven me to become a great soldier but instead I became a lowly factory worker.

"Yes, Qu is evil. He is Graft's ideal demonstration of the man who would let the world die if it meant he could keep his bending. The reason Graft felt so confident that he was bringing a better world because people like Qu exist. They do exist Korra. There will always be those who throw away love and respect for power. That is the way the world is and it is sad but it will never go away. But I have seen the ones who are the opposite. I have seen those who would gladly give up their power for their humanity.

"I cherish the people I meet that do not place their hunger for power over the ones they love. I have seen these people. They are my father. They are the victims I have seen cry and plead with the Spirits after losing a loved one, the victims I have witnessed during my time as a police officer. People who give up their own lives for the lives of their children. People who forego the opportunity to gain power because they believe stopping something unethical is more important. Because the well-being of others is not something that can be ignored in our quest for power. These people are each and every one of you, as well I believe.

"I will give you this advice: people like Graft and Qu will always exist. Qu demonstrated to Graft a man who gave up his humanity for power. To me, Qu is no longer human. He no longer possesses the human spirit, the drive to better ourselves, the drive to build relationships with others, to advance the world and leave a legacy. He seeks to destroy and kill. To keep the world down as he rises. To regress the world back to a state where we depend on bending and on those who can bend. Depend on those who have power, because in his world, bending will be the only idea of power left to attain. But don't let these inevitable people keep you from thinking this world is worth saving. Don't let these people who have forsaken their humanity blind you from the millions of people who embrace it and have helped to bring a beautiful world of knowledge and love."

~Lin's Tale~

Lin poked at the fire with her sword, adjusting the wood so it would burn brighter.

"I have a story to tell. Perhaps you might find it useful as well, Korra. My story is the death of my mother, Toph Bei Fong."

"You might all be wondering why Rong's near-death experience affected me so. Well, maybe by the end of this story you'll know. Toph raised me until I was about fifteen and went to live on my own. I matured rather quickly under her guidance. Living with Toph as her daughter was…interesting to say the least. She was a good mother. She tried. But unfortunately, because I was an earth bender, she wanted to train me to be as good as she was. She became my teacher, and it was hard at times to tell whether she was my mother or my master. I knew she loved me, but she seemed to treat me just like her other students, and that can be confusing for a growing girl like I was. Not knowing how to interpret the way your mother is raising you. Was I her daughter or her student?"

"I don't want to place Toph in a bad light, though. These were the thoughts of a girl going through adolescence a little earlier than others. They were undoubtedly influenced by hormones and what have you. Toph gave me a home. She fed me and took great care of me. Even as her job as chief gave her so much stress, she still strived to be there for me while I was growing up. It must have been so hard for her as a single working mother, having to deal with criminals ruining the city, then holding the responsibility of my well-being. I remember her coming home on the days when she was struggling to get Yakone behind bars. I heard her curse and yell and break things. I was probably about seven then. The whole event scared me, but she assured me it was okay. She assured me that she wouldn't let the bad people run free for much longer. They'd go down, and she would make sure of it. She would make sure that no one ever touched me.

"I looked up to Toph, she was a very kind mother, but when I turned ten, and my earth bending started improving quickly, something seemed to change about her. I learned to metal bend, and this excited her. She trained me rigorously. She said I would be the next chief. I am not sure what I wanted then. I wasn't sure I wanted to hold the job she had. It didn't appeal to me like it did for her, and the constant stress of the job was affecting her, even physically. My mother began looking much older for her age.

"Toph's training was brutal. She would yell at me when I failed as a means of encouraging me, I guess. I would have to train all day so that when she got home from work I would be ready for whatever she threw at me. I feel that a carefree, normal childhood was evading me. I grew up quickly, and I was starting to forget Toph was my mother. She was never pleased with my improvements, at least to me. I always wanted to impress her. That would last throughout my life. But something was always bothering her. Soon, she never seemed to be happy. I wasn't sure why, I thought maybe it was her job, another criminal on the loose. She was always upset about something. Then I thought it was me. Maybe I was failure to her. Her dreams of me being as great as she is becoming lost. She never told me that, not once did she says she was disappointed in me, but also, not once did she say she was proud. It could have been a number of things. A good probability that she felt scared as she grew older. I didn't know then what I know now about what was really disturbing her. Something from deep within her finally taking effect…

"So I was about fifteen, but I looked to be in my twenties. Toph had me added to the police force, gave me my own uniform, gave me a team to work with, and this was good because I needed money, but also it pleased her to see me working there, to be using my bending for the good of Republic City. Whether I wanted the job was unclear to me, but what was clear was that I wanted Toph to be happy with herself and with me. Me being around seemed to ease her stress more than when I wasn't. I was always trying to impress her, but I wanted to be there for her, too, to make her "feel good" about herself. I was starting to worry about her. Perhaps in that stage of her life, she was starting to feel she had not done enough, that she had raised me badly and was not a good person. I wanted to be around for her to show her she had not failed.

"Those were a good few years, I will admit," Lin tried not to look over at Tenzin. It was obvious that she was referring to the time she spent dating him. "I never left the force. I was too much apart of it, and I knew one day Toph would make me chief. I grew to care too much about the safety of the citizens to care whether or not the job was for me. And I cared about the well-being of my mother. I think I was happy, if not with my job, with the other things I had in my life. I felt complete. And I felt that Toph was really proud of me and herself. Something about me wanted her approval so bad. To say that I was a great metal bender. The times I wasn't working I spent improving my metalbending. Perfecting it. Knowing every kind of attack, reading the eyes of an enemy and predicting exactly how he would strike. I would be a perfect soldier…"

"Things started to change. My presence in the force no longer seemed to act as a stabilizer for Toph. She became sick. She no longer had the energy to continue on as chief. There were even reports of her passing out on the job. She looked much older than her age, now. And so did I. I remember looking in the mirror and seeing my gray hairs. My beautiful long hair starting to fade in color and wither. The wrinkles in my once smooth face. It saddened me. I had lost my youth so quickly. Was it the stress of the job doing this to me and Toph? I knew my mother needed me, so I had renounce her position as chief, to retire, and let me take her place so the stress would no longer deteriorate her. She didn't agree, but I did it anyway.

"I told Toph to move out of the city. To find a place on the outskirts and rest. Relax. I went to visit her every other day. I called a doctor to watch after her, but Toph wouldn't have it. She drove him away upon every visit. I didn't know what was happening, but I was worried. I went to visit her. She was always frustrated and upset. She wasn't even working anymore, so I never knew what was causing her this stress. Soon she was unable to walk straight, then stand on her feet. She became very lethargic and had trouble eating. She was just deteriorating. I didn't know what I had to do, but I made sure I was there as much as possible. I was worried sick.

"Toph spent her days sitting in her chair. In her room. She could barely walk, now. I would visit and feed her and give her medicine which did nothing. Doctors couldn't tell me any kind of diagnosis. She spent years like this.

'Mother, how are you feeling today?' I would ask.

'Lin, I need to go back to work. I'm the chief remember?'

'Mother, it's been years since you retired, remember?'

She never did. She was delusional. Her memory was failing her. It got worse. I'll never forget the day I went there and…

'Mother, I'm here. Are you feeling alright?'

'Who is here? Where is Lin? Where is my daughter?'

'It's me, Lin,' I said. I walked over to her and she felt my face which was strange. My voice should have been indication enough for her keen ears.

'You are not Lin. Where is my daughter? I want to see her.'

She did not remember me. She refused to believe I was Lin. The memory she had of me was a younger voice, smoother skin. Mine had become so withered and old, but my age disagreed with my appearance. My own mother was forgetting me. Every day I saw her, and every day she would ask where her daughter was. I took care of her for years and she never believed that I was ever the one there. She thought I left her, hated her, and would not even come to see her on her deathbed.

'Lin never visits me. She hates me. And I deserve it. I was a horrible mother. I am ashamed of how I raised her. She never asked for that life. She never wanted it. But she hates me so that she won't try to contact me? She won't even accept an apology? Why can't she come here and settle things with me? I want to tell her what I really feel. Doesn't she know I am dying? Doesn't she know she may never have the chance again? She is going to ignore me forever? She hates me that much…' She would cry and say these things to me each night. I tried to tell her, but she would never reveal how she felt for me unless she believed Lin was there.

I almost broke down. 'Mother, I am here! I am your daughter and I am here for you. I always have been! I've never left your side.'

But she wouldn't remember. She would cry out for me, and I was right there, but to her I was gone forever, and she hated it. She hated that I "never visited". She said I renounced being her daughter. She became depressed that her only daughter never showed. Toph admitted to being a harsh mother, but she refused to believe that she deserved this. She allowed the sickness to overcome her. Her condition got worse. She tried to move each day, but now moving resulted in excessive shaking. Seizures. Loss of breath. She spoke in grunts and moans.

Near the end of her life, I came to her house to see how she was doing, now semi-immune to hearing her plead for her daughter to make contact, but Toph was scared when she heard me walk in one day.

'Who's there?'

'It's me. Lin. I've come to see how you are doing, mother.'

'Lin?' she said. I had hope that she remembered, but then she said, 'I know no one by that name. Have you come to kill me, then?'

'Mother, I am your daughter.'

'I don't have a daughter.'

"My mother was dead to me, just as I was to her. I continued to watch after her while she condemned me each day for "breaking into her home" because I was a stranger now. She had forgotten me, and did not remember anything I had ever done for her.

"I'm sorry for being the way that I am, I know I am not the nicest person around, but something changed in me over the years as I watched my mother, the woman whose love and acceptance I worked so hard to get, completely forget me, and in the end of her life cry in sorrow because she believed her loving daughter had abandoned her. I would never abandon her, but she told me to my face that I didn't exist to her. I knew she was sick, but nothing can really match the depth of the blow to my heart when she said those things. It was like all emotion was ripped away from me, and nothing really mattered anymore.

"I always wondered what had happened to her, and no answer really showed itself until I met O-Ren, who occasionally suffered from panic attacks, seizures and muscle lock-ups when he overused his bending. That was why seeing Rong squirming in pain was so hard for me. To me, I saw my mother slowly dying because of her overuse of metal bending.

"It's my belief that metal bending is what slowly killed Toph. A few more similar events have confirmed this for me. Rong put years away training so that he could overpower me. When people put so much time into it, it affects them badly. Metalbending requires a high demand for cosmic energy within a person. Humans were not exactly meant to bend metal. The logical explanation I have been able to come up with is that since it is so demanding on our chi paths, metal bending disrupts our internal structure. The overused chi becomes saturated with energy that its flow is irregular. And with all the memories and attributes chi carries, such a disturbance can have devastating effects on humans. Not to mention its influence over the acceleration of one's age."

"I've felt it," Korra said. "When people metal bend, their chi paths become so hot. Like they are boiling with the energy that is needed to do something so difficult like bend energy. Too much of it would be deadly. A number of different effects can come about."

Lin looked sadly into the fire. No one in the Team had any words. Korra had never heard a story so depressing. She knew why Lin was the way she was. Lin had not told that story to anyone, not even Tenzin, who looked at her in shock, now knowing the reason she had changed when they were younger and seeing each other. She had no longer cared for anything unless it was objectively, as her job demanded of her, and Tenzin could tell, back then, and it was not his desire to continue with her. She was going in a different direction, and he never felt that she wanted him to come with her. She did not want his help, and when Pema came into his life, he saw someone who possessed what Lin had lost. Lin did not hate Tenzin for what he did. She knew he was happier than he would have been with her miserable self, and that made her happy, too.

Lin looked at Korra. "Korra, if there is something to be learned from Toph's death, it might be this: humans may not be meant to hone these god-like powers. The power of bending. For if it has the power to backfire and kill its user, to completely disrupt them from the inside, and there is nothing they can do, then does it make sense at all that we should have these abilities? We as humans are driven to push ourselves beyond our limits. Metalbending is the result of Toph's drive, and it ended up being the cause of her death. If we are restricted in the limit we can reach because the powers we are given by the Spirits begin to hurt us, to dismantle our internal structure as we continue to use it, then why should such a thing exist at all?"

**/* I love Toph. She is my favorite character from ATLA. Korra is my favorite character from LOK. I plan to finish this story before the next season starts :D*/**


	49. Fireside Tales Part 2

**/* Part two of this rather important two-parter :D thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy*/**

Fireside Tales Part 2

~Sydney's Tale~

"I have a story to tell," Sydney said. "My story is about…well…who I am, and how I came to be here. Perhaps there is something within this tale that may help you, Korra."

"My name is Sydney. I have the memories of what happened to me before I met Bolin, but that is all they are to me right now. Just memories. Recordings. The events do not affect me emotionally now. I just know they happened. This was a result of the Clasma disrupting my identity. Anyway, I used to be a pretty normal girl. I lived in Republic City with my parents, and I went to Crownsville High School, and I had friends and lived a pretty normal life. Enjoyed the nightlife on the weekends and worked hard in school to get into a good college somewhere. I never thought I had a relatively exciting life until I came into contact with the man named Zolt.

"My parents owned a small hardware shop on La Street. They would ride on the city bus with me and get off the stop before my high school to go to work. They both worked to keep the shop running, and they sold their car because our family was seeing tough times and money was an issue. But my mother and father worked hard to make sure that I got a good education and that I would be able to go to whatever college I wanted, so I never complained. I never minded the frozen dinners at night, the bus rides to and from school, the few and cheap presents I got for my birthday. I really feel I learned the value of family and love because of this. Material possessions never appealed to me. They never seemed to me to be a sign of love. My mom and dad sacrificed a lot for me, but whenever it was brought up, they would say it was not a sacrifice. They said the hard work they put in to their jobs and the luxuries they had cast aside, the hours they spent making sure the house was clean and sanitary for me and their constant motivation for me to do well, they did so for the purpose of ensuring that I would have a good, safe and secure life. Since I was more important to my parents than anything, my happiness meant that giving up those things was not a sacrifice because the end goal would be something better than any of those pleasures would ever be.

"My parents were good people. Great people. They never let these tough times get them down, and soon business picked up. My dad had invested in a new marketing model that, I guess, really worked for him. Business was booming. And they were able to meet the demands of the people. It seems they just needed recognition to get off the ground. Soon my parents had several hardware stores around the city and even a few in other cities. He changed the name of the store from our family name to a more standard name, Home Depot. Maybe you guys have heard of it? It doesn't matter, the store isn't the point of my story. Like O-Ren's dad, my parents started with nothing and got somewhere. They were driven, mostly driven by the necessity to uphold my well-being, and in the end they made it. They succeeded and we graduated from paper plates and frozen dinners and public transportation to the finest China and sirloin steaks and private vehicles.

"So my family gained a reputation. Our company was the number one hardware store within a…something radius I don't know. We were pretty well-known I'll put it that way. So well-known that we got the attention of the Triple Threats, a mob that was very involved with several industries in Republic City, the hardware industry interestingly enough was one of them. They were a mob that deeply relied on their bending as a means of power over others, as a means of extortion and generating fear. Regressing back to the days of cavemen who subjugated others by using their God-given powers to intimidate their enemies. I thought we had moved past those primitive times, but apparently not, because that is exactly the kind of negotiating the Triple Threats were prone to doing.

"The Triple Threats stopped seeing returns from the companies whose managers they were extorting. The managers said they were not getting as much business because my family's superior company was stealing it all. It was very pleasing to my dad. It was competition, and he was just better at business than they were. That is how things go, but the Triple Threats did not see it that way. They came to "settle things" with my parents. You know, tell them how things worked. My dad told them to piss off. He wasn't afraid of their bending, and he said he was not scared to have them thrown in jail for blackmail. In case you never met my dad, he can be very intimidating and when he sees bullshit like what they were feeding him, he won't hesitate to tell them what is what. So those two scared Triple Threats returned with more people, and again my dad scared them out of his office and hired some security to keep any Triple Threats away from his office.

"Well, Lightning Bolt Zolt wasn't liking these things that he was hearing. He sought to bring down my family's business so he could get what _he _wanted. So he could maintain his level of power. He sent out his men to follow my mom and dad when they weren't at work, so my dad started carrying a gun around with him. I wasn't really aware of most of this when it was happening. It seemed like the situation was under control and soon the Triple Threats stopped bothering us. My mom would still make sure she knew where I was when I left for school. I would have to call her when I went out with my friends to give her updates on things, and if I didn't call they would come looking for me. I trusted my parents and knew they were only doing it to protect me so I complied and even started going out less because I knew it worried them.

"Well there was one time. It was my friend's birthday, and she was having a birthday party at a club in town. I was invited and I wanted to go, so the usual rules were in effect with my parents. They even had the club hire one of our family friends to be the bouncer to look after me. I knew the guy, Binh, and he was a nice guy so I was glad that he would be there. When I got there, a huge line had formed, and what was weird was that Binh wasn't the bouncer. It was someone I didn't recognize. Maybe Binh was inside? That is what I thought until this strange bouncer made eye contact with me and told me I could cut in line. Not my friend, the birthday girl, just me. So I go in and they lead me upstairs to this room where it is just me and this older looking guy. It is a pretty nice room with a bunch of couches, and buckets with ice and alcohol. The guy smiled and asked if I wanted a drink but I said no. I didn't know what was happening, and being my age I definitely wasn't accepting drinks from a stranger.

"The man got up and introduced himself as Zolt. He told me Binh was laid off for the night. Zolt's bouncers guarded the door and wouldn't let me leave.

"'The name is Zolt,' he told me, 'And if you're wondering why this is happening, you can blame your parents for that. They don't seem to realize the parameters of the playing field in this city. There are certain industries that are in my domain. It helps to have me on your side to keep the competition down, but somehow your family company slipped past my surveillance. Not good, my dear, not good. We'll see just how much your dad cares about your company.'

"Zolt proceeded to beat me up pretty badly. He ripped my clothes of and gave me several burns. He had some authority in that specific club but none of my friends knew. I was bruised, burned, disoriented, and nearly naked, then they just toss me out of the club and into the rain. I sat in an alley and cried for a good while before I returned home. My dad was furious when he saw my state. He requested an audience with Zolt once and for all. Zolt required my father and mother to speak with him. I lied in my bed, traumatized, while they left to settle things. I can't imagine what that must have felt like for me. I refused to do anything. I lost all motivation to live. I wouldn't really snap out of that state for a while.

"My parents met with Zolt and his Triple Threats with the intention to give him whatever cuts of the company he wanted. Secretly, they would find a way to bring him down, but until then, they would give in to his demands so that I would be safe. They weren't going to deal with his violent methods of business. My dad was positive he would be able to get Zolt thrown in jail.

"Zolt agreed. My family's company gave a good amount of its profit to the Triple Threats for my protection, when really it was just protection from the Triple Threats themselves. Our lifestyle slowly degraded and was heading toward the way it was before. My father spent all of his time finding ways to expose Zolt and dissolve this mess, so that he could be free to do his business and make his money without a gun to his head to give it away. It was morally wrong, he would say…

"Zolt found out my father's motives. He requested a meeting with my parents. This was not long before Zolt was kidnapped by Amon actually, if I recall correctly. In this meeting, he told my parents that he could no longer trust them as business partners. There was no place for 'conniving rats', he said. My father's intention of getting Zolt behind bars meant he was no longer of any use to Zolt, and Zolt wouldn't have my parents back on the street knowing what they knew. Threatening me wouldn't do it anymore. Zolt concluded my parents had to die in order for him to feel secured in his ownership over this industry.

"My father was ashamed at himself that Zolt discovered his secret plans to take him down. Maybe he was bluffing that he knew, but whatever the case, my parents would not allow me to be in danger, so they agreed. My father's last words were directed at Zolt, whose hands began to burn with the fire that would incinerate my parents.

'I am ashamed at what benders like you have come to,' my father said. 'Your threats and violence and illusion of power do not bring the human race forward. You do not seek to advance life. You want to destroy it. You have chosen death. What kind of system is this where you, the bender, the one with the illusion of power because you can shoot fire, because you were born with this ability over an element, should automatically have power over the one who has worked hard for his earnings, who has worked harder than you will ever work and deserves a life of happiness and prosperity while you deserve to rot in your disillusioned vision of a world where you always get what you want because you can kill. Because you can kill, you deserve everything? Because bending establishes ruler and servant? You seek a primitive world without reason and justice, and because of that, you have given up your own humanity. I will not sink to your level. You will see. Your terrorism can't support you forever. Killing solves nothing. The strife will continue, and soon it will catch you, Zolt, and you'll realize you've spent your whole life depending on a power given to you by gods. Soon you will realize you have no real value.'

"My parents were killed, but his words didn't just pass through Zolt's head. Soon he lost his bending, and with that he lost his identity. His sanity. I had changed during this time. I was trying to overcome the depression. The tragedy of being abused by someone, and losing my parents, the two people who gave their life for me to survive. I felt so alone. I had no one. I was losing myself, my sense of purpose. I tried to hold on to whatever I had left to define myself…

"I tried to kill myself one day, and it just my luck that I was rescued and somehow fell into Graft's care. He was omnipotent I tell you. He must have been impersonating a doctor. The doctors saved my life, and then he swooped in and got me. He knew that Clasma was the quick fix to this, to my damaged mentl state, but all it was it melded together my own personality with that of Yakone's, the dead blood bending mob leader. Graft knew what I had been through, and wanted to give me the powers and make me an equal to Zolt. Give me the powers that allowed Zolt to dominate. Reverse the positions and make me the king while others became my servant. My subjects.

"I learned how to waterbend. It felt powerful, but it didn't feel right. I didn't want this power. It wasn't natural that I should just suddenly obtain these abilities. Graft kept telling me that now I could take what was taken from me. My newfound skills excited him. He couldn't be happier that his experiment worked, and that I actually was able to maintain most of my identity in the process. He said that this bending would make me rule. But I had done nothing to rule. I had not achieved anything or done any work. Such a right or position like that can't just be given to someone. Someone can't just be given power. It isn't…natural. It just…opposes humanity fundamentally.

"Graft didn't keep me in a cell the whole time. He initially injected me with Clasma, to give me the power of Yakone, but I still retained my memories. He was very nice to me at first, and once it was certain that I had the ability to bend water, Graft brought me to a room where I was face to face with the very man responsible for my parent's death.

"Zolt, in all his nonbending glory, sat before me, sobbing and scared. No power. No longer in his domain. My servant subjected to anything I decided. Graft told me to tie the loose ends. He told me that I had power over him now, that I could realize my revenge on him for what he did to me. He wanted to see it. A man, once in power, lose his bending, his only source of this power and identity, and become the victim of one of his previous victims, who now had the power that this man had lost. Graft wanted me to use my water bending to kill Zolt.

"Zolt pleaded with me. He told me how sorry he was. He told me how my father's words had changed him. He told me that he had no power and the world was clearer to him. I ignored these things. I was angry with Zolt. I wanted him dead. But I refused to do so. I told Graft I wouldn't kill him because I would sink to his level if I did. I would be no better than he was. Because I had bending, did that suddenly give me the right to end other people's lives? Who has such a right? Does the person with superhuman abilities have it? Do our creators have that right? Can we create and destroy at will? That was what Graft was trying to demonstrate, but that is an evil mentality. Bending shouldn't instantiate where we stand. Bending shouldn't be the object of everyone's envy. Graft thought that was what defined humanity, but I refused to fulfill his prophecy. I refused to kill the man, I would rise above him. I would let him live and suffer in his misery. His misery brought on by the loss of the very thing he depended on. The very thing he believed gave his life meaning: his bending. I wanted him to live and realize that bending meant nothing. If I killed him, it would be no different than what he did, it would only continue the strife between us and contradict my own claim. It wouldn't solve anything.

"Graft was upset with me. That was when he threw me in a cell, gave me food to make me forget, called me a failed subject. I was his exception that bending is what we crave, that bending means we have authority over others. That it is the key to being happy. I never thought I was the exception. Graft, Zolt, Qu…I always believed they were the exceptions. Zolt told me that day, before I left him, that my words nearly matched the last words of my father.

"Korra, I'll tell you this. There will always be bad people in the world, but they exist to strengthen those who are good. Their evil should not bring us down into evil. We cannot fight evil by sinking to its level. We can only end the strife by overcoming the evil with good. If we don't, we will only be keeping alive the false belief that power, that things like bending and our positions, give us authority over the lives of others. As hard as it may be, even with the most evil people, forgiveness is never out of the question. In this way, evil brings out the good in us, and as long as we don't sink to its level, the good will always prevail over the evil in the end."

~Tenzin's Tale~

"I have a story I can tell. Perhaps this tale can help you in your state of indecision Korra. Maybe this can tell you few things about where the human race may be heading.

"Things have been changing in my family. For the longest time, I thought it was for the worst. Over the past year or so, something I never even expected was starting to happen. Just a few weeks ago, when Lin and I escaped from the city, we made it to the shore and rode the ferry across the bay out west to where my family was taking sanctuary. I told them to leave Republic City and head there because I thought it would be safe and far away from the danger that was arising. Lin and I broke off, but when I finally made it to the temple where I had them move to, Pema was in a panic. She ran to me as I walked in and cried excessively, so overwhelmed that I could barely understand her as she was telling me what was wrong.

"I quickly looked around the room. To make sure everyone was there and safe. I saw all my children except for one. I wasn't sure if I could bear to hear the news. I waited for her to calm down and tell me why Jinora, my oldest daughter, was not anywhere to be seen. Pema spoke:

'Jinora…she's…she's run away! Just run off! She's been missing for several weeks now. I tried to contact you, but I never could reach you. There was so much going on in Republic City. Tenzin I am so sorry, I am so sorry I have failed. I've had the whole island searched but no one has found her. I don't know if someone has abducted her or hurt her or she has just run away. Why couldn't I get a hold of you? I don't know what to do, I've had to keep this family together, I can't bear to think about her out there by herself.'

"I brought Pema into the other room. She had completely lost her composure and was falling apart. I didn't want to think about what could happen to Jinora, especially now, with all the crazy fiends and now this new Avatar on the loose. It is too much for me to handle. I just hoped she wasn't going to Republic City. I told Pema, I swore to her, that I would find our daughter. Lin agreed to go with me, and together we took Oogi back toward Republic City. I didn't even know where to start looking. I thought the skies would be dangerous given that the United Forces was now under command of Qu, well Colonel Milan I guess, but it was surprisingly easy to navigate. It probably won't be like that as we approach Metro. It was on the way back that we came across a group of people who were so eager to see us, as if they knew Lin and me, and that was how we acquired that radio which allowed us to find you.

"I guess I should have seen something like this coming. I regret not having done anything about it. I was so ignorant to the issue, and now she is out in the world alone, maybe scared and in trouble and there is nothing I can do. She is just a young girl. My girl. I care more about her than anything, but I took that too far as a parent. I cared about her but was too excited to see her live a certain life. Perhaps a life she never wanted.

"After Amon's downfall, Jinora started to change. Those of you who have met Jinora know how she was. She was so serious about her airbending training. So serious about the ways of the Air Nomads. She learned the entire history, read every book on airbending and on the monks. I was proud to call her a prodigy at the art of bending air and a genius on the topic of our culture. She picked it up so quickly at such a young age. She was always meditating as much and as deeply as she should have been. She was on track to get her air bending tattoos early. I couldn't have been happier that I was raising a daughter who embraced the culture so much and was excelling within it.

"But like I said, she started to change. Soon she would sleep in and miss her meditation sessions. I would hear from the monks that she was missing her daily lessons, and she would tell me there was no point in going to them since she already knew everything about the air nomads. It seemed like she was skipping her training because she already had the knowledge, but I knew Jinora better than that. She always made it a priority to do everything she needed to, even if she knew it. I knew there was another reason, a more true reason, why she was acting like this. She did know everything, but I wanted her to continue with her training. Unfortunately, she did not see things on the same level. Jinora began to ignore her training. I would see her walk around the island in casual clothes, out of the traditional airbending uniform, and I was upset. I would tell her that she needed to get things together and start focusing on her training.

"'I don't want to,' she would say.

'What do you mean you don't want to?" I asked.

'I just…don't. I don't know. That is all I can say. I just don't care.'

"She didn't care. This bothered me to the point where I was mad and forced her to attend her daily lessons or else she would be punished. But…this was the mistake I was making. I was forcing her to become something she did not want to be. She continued to disobey me and skip her lessons. To ignore the traditions of the air nomads and wear street clothes. To venture around the island after the late hours when she was not authorized to do so. She just stopped listening to my orders. I was scared because of what was happening. I thought I could change her back to the way she was before. I thought I could do something to bring her back to a stable state. The Jinora I was seeing…I just didn't feel that it was the same girl I had raised, and she could tell I was disappointed, but she was upset that I didn't understand. That I appeared to love the girl she once was and not the girl she was becoming. I thought I could do something to reignite the old Jinora, so one day…

'Jinora, I am pleased to tell you that you are eligible to receive your airbending tattoos as of next month. This is a great honor, and the fact that you are allowed your tattoos this early is an anomalous event. This calls for a celebration. Certainly you know the gravity of this momentous occasion.'

'Yeah…I think I do,' she said. She didn't seem happy at all. The news didn't excite her, didn't fill her with the joy that I was filled with. She just seemed to feel nothing. I wanted her to realize what was happening. I wanted her to know how momentous this was. I was devastated at her lack of concern for her lifestyle, for her culture. I wanted this phase that she was going through to end.

'Jinora! You were late again for your lessons. And why aren't you in uniform?'

'I just didn't want to wear it today.'

'Do you know what the air bending nomad uniform means…?'

'Yes. I know exactly what it means. I know what everything in our culture means, Dad. You don't have to yell at me. I'm not stupid. I've read about everything associated with our culture. I'm not just some ignorant adolescent.'

'Jinora, you are receiving your tattoos soon. You have to shape up! You have to get things together and realize that you are a role model for your siblings. For all future airbenders that we will be the forefathers for. They look up to you and if you keep scoffing off the importance of airbending than they will, too. Is that what you want?'

'I don't know what I want, Dad,' She said. 'I don't know if I want my tattoos. I don't know if I want to be a part of this culture and be the 'forefather of our future generations'. I don't think I want to be part of that, and I don't know if it is right for me. Sure I have read up on everything about it. It is a culture based on freedom, a nomadic lifestyle, and yet I feel so constrained. I feel so held back by rules and customs that I just don't care about anymore. I'm sorry, but I just don't care. I don't want this life. I want a normal life. I want to have a place of my own, not some temple. I want a husband, not some chosen man to create offspring. I want a family, I want to be a mother. I want a job where I can contribute to society. As a monk, what can I really do? What can I contribute? I just feel like I am giving nothing, no percentage of my ability to society. That is not what I want. I want to advance the world, but being an air bending monk, I feel I can't do that. I feel that I am weighted down by so many rules and customs and I would never be able to do what I want. So maybe this isn't the life I want.'

"I was upset with her. I told her she had better think otherwise. I told her she was going to get her tattoos and she was going to uphold the air bending tradition. She hated me for that. I just thought that this would be best for her, but in the end, it was not. She turned against me, she wanted to do what she desired, and I was foolish. I was foolish because I wanted her to live a life that I chose, not that she chose. That can't work. One cannot set the path of another person's life. We must let them choose their own way. I failed to do this. I failed to listen to Jinora and understand her worries. Understand her concerns. She didn't want to be an airbender. She wanted a different kind of life. A life she would not be able to obtain if she continued on as a monk. If she got her tattoos.

"The day she was meant to receive her tattoos was the day she disappeared, apparently. She would not accept them. She would never want to be associated with a culture that did not agree with her desires. She wanted to live among the humans. She wanted a family, and she did not want this family to be raised under the regime of airbending. Under the watchful eyes of the acolytes and of myself who would tell Jinora's kids that bending was a sacred tradition which must be upheld. Jinora did not believe this. Jinora believed in something else. I told her to accept the airbending way of life because that was who she was. She told me that she was in control of who she was, that she was the one who made herself. Her past and future were decided by her.

"I turned my back on the issue when the problems in Republic City grew. I turned my back and hoped that it was something that would just go away while I dealt with Graft, but nothing will just go away if you choose to look away. When I returned home, Jinora had run away. Run away form the life that restricted her from doing what made her happy. She wanted a job, she wanted to work for what she earned. She believed that since she was an airbender, she was not entitled to her home, to her money, to her power. She wanted to work and earn these things, and not share them. And she has left, left and ventured out into the dangerous world to find her purpose.

"I wanted, and still want, Jinora to be happy but I cannot sleep knowing she is somewhere out there, struggling to survive perhaps. I just have to find her. Even if she is okay, I have to know that for sure. As a father, nothing is more important to me than her well-being. I just hope….I am not too late.

"If there is something to learn from my story, Korra, it Is this: A parent is someone who cares deeply about the offspring that they create. This care can easily stretch into an unhealthy domain. I was a victim of this. I was one of the last air nomads, and I just wanted my children to carry on the tradition so that we could survive. But, I never thought of them not wanting to uphold the tradition. Jinora started to reject the airbending culture. She chose her own path, and I was opposed to it. I regret my lack of attention to her, my lack of understanding. I feel I was a bad father. I wanted her to be someone she was not. In the end, her personal desires won and inevitably drove her away from me. I know this all might seem irrelevant to your situation, but think of it this way. The Spirits created us, all humans are formed from the cosmic energy that flows nearly infinitely in the Spirit World. We are their molds, and it is in the same way we mold and shape our children. To a degree, we can teach them to act and think in a way that we as parents believe is right, but the world is full of many different ideas, many different people. A diverse pool of beliefs and lifestyles, and these things will inevitably influence your creation, your human race or your children. In the same way I tried to enforce a life for Jinora to live, the Spirits are trying to enforce a way of living for the human race. An old-fashioned way of living where we depend on bending, where we give everything up to the Spirits and get nowhere as a society, no advancements, because we are powerless to them. The only way to move forward is to leave behind these ancient ways of civilization, of relying on the Spirits and instead relying on ourselves, on our human abilities, to move forward and advance. I was upset when I saw Jinora feel this way, but now I see the effects of trying to control your creation and make them become the kind of person you desire them to be.

"My lesson is one based on experience. The relationship between the human race and the Spirits is like a child to a parent. The Spirits have given us life and a means of growing up: our bending. A means of surviving until we are able to take care of ourselves. Like the child that leaves home to find a purpose and shape his or her life, so too will the human race attempt to venture out away from the Spirits and realize their potential as humans. Leave behind the safety and nurturing of our Spiritual "parents" and live independently. But the Spirits refuse to let us go. Just like Jinora, the human race will defy their creators. With that, I don't think you should give up hope. Should not give up hope that the human race still depend on their bending, the parental supervision and guidance of the Spirits. I think you will find that they want to move on, to leave the Spirits behind and become independent, to see what they can create as humans without the help of the Spirits."

"You think," Korra said, "You think that the humans will dismiss bending?"

"A child growing into an adult seeks to live a life of his or her own, so too will the human population seek to escape from the warm blanket of the Spirits, for they will realize that nothing can ever advance if we do not."

Korra watched the fire die. It was a good hour after Tenzin's story. Yet she sat there, thinking about everything she had been told. The horrible things these people had been through, and the way the responded, the way it shaped them, and the things they learned.

Asami looked at Korra. She wanted to speak to her. The two had not really spoken since Korra's return. She did not know what to say, but she hoped Korra did. The rest of the group was drifting off to sleep by now. Korra felt Asami looking at her longingly, and she could not handle it any longer. She wanted to escape the pressure, the confusion, the anxiety.

"I need to be alone," Korra said, she glanced quickly at Asami, "I'll be back soon, I will." Korra left the campsite and walked a short distance away from the group and into the woods. Only the moon lit her surroundings. Not only was she trying to process everything she had just heard from her friends and try to make a decision, but her senses had been constantly nagging her the entire day. Burning within her telling her that some source of Clasma was around her. She thought she had figured it out when Sydney and O-Ren revealed that they had once been infected, but the source did not feel like it was moving through a body…

Korra heard a twig snap and shot up to see Tenzin walking through the woods toward her.

"Tenzin, I…"

"Korra, I know you wanted to be alone, but these are drastic times and I need to know what you are going to do. I need to know that you are going to try and stop this. You can't let the sins of some mask the value of others."

"Tenzin, it isn't really that. Not anymore. Your stories have really inspired me. I think I know what I need to do…" Korra scratched her head, then looked up at Tenzin trying to smile, making her hands into a fist, looking like she was ready to go up against anything, but she was still very hesitant, "Let's…let's go to Metro. Maybe we will find something there. Something or someone that can help us. There has to be someone who will help us go up against Solomon. I am sure we can find those people that you spoke of. The ones who wish to leave the parental care of the Spirits. I want to find them. There has to be something at Metro."

Korra quickly lost her smile. In the moonlight, Tenzin could see the sadness in her face.

"And then," she said, nearly on the verge of tears, hoping Tenzin did not notice, "and then we weaken the beast, and we go inside. Daya will be waiting there for me. It will be up to me to do what has to be done."

Korra couldn't help but think of Asami. Her gaze reminded Korra of her fate, but what was worse to her was that Asami would once again lose something she held so dear to her. Korra had established herself within Asami's heart, she felt it, and she felt Asami within her as well. She was unsure how it happened, but now thinking of leaving Asami was too painful. She promised she would always be there for Asami, but soon she would be unable to uphold that. Korra tried not to become too close to Asami at this time, she did not want to continue strengthening a relationship that would ultimately end very soon, but her warmth was the only thing Korra desired. A tear appeared and slowly rolled down her cheek.

"Korra," Tenzin said solemnly, "Bending isn't the only thing that that will end if you succeed, will it?"

Korra looked up. Tenzin _was_ good at making conclusions from subtle details, like Lin had said.

Tenzin said no more. He slowly walked up to her and embraced her. As if Korra was his own daughter, Tenzin could not bear to think of her dark fate. At the same time, he couldn't be more proud of her bravery.

"Please," Korra said, tears shedding silently from her eyes, "Please just keep this between us. Please don't tell the rest. Please don't…tell Asami."

**/*So I am not sure how well I did it, but for this part, I wanted to parallel the stories Korra hears around the campfire and the advice she receives with the finale of ATLA, where Aang gets advice from the previous Avatars about what to do against the Firelord. Except now, Korra receives her advice from humans. Also, since the Gaang were not the ones that gave Aang advice in ATLA, I made it similar in this way (Since it is O-Ren, Lin, Sydney and Tenzin telling the stories and I think Korra/Asami/Bolin/Mako when I think of the principal members of the new team avatar). **

**Next time, we hit Metro.*/**


	50. Metro

/***Long one. Sorry for the delay. I blame school lol */**

**/*Edit: Sun doesn't set in the sea - sun sets in west. der**

**New Edit 5/21: Took out the idea that Spirits are immortal in Spirit World. Sword is powerful bc in can kill Daya, but Spirits are not immortal in Spirit World like i had them before*/**

-Metro-

_I have a story as well, Oni._  
_The story of Daya's destruction of our world. The first world._  
_We wanted to escape, but she refused to let us._  
_We created a weapon, a powerful weapon._  
_A weapon capable of killing the most powerful Spirit in the Spirit World.  
__A weapon capable of killing Daya, capable of unraveling the energy keeping her in existence._  
_Only the weapon was missing one crucial component, and we were unable to use it.__  
_  
Korra perched at the top of a rocky cliff. Metro was only a short distance away. A few miles. The environment started to become more urban. They came across walls and streets on the edges of the diminishing forests, indicating their approach toward civilization again. Metro was a port that had grown into a small city, and it was known for its many junctions for trains, boats, and roads. Metro was once a chaotic center of commerce until the rules were enforced by the Republic of Nations in an attempt to suppress unfair trading, blackmailing, smuggling, and monopolies. Korra had never seen the place before.

She stood at the top of the rocky cliff, seeing a last glimpse of nature before venturing into the man-made jungle of Metro. She watched the sun rise, bringing about a new day, a day in which many things could happen, and she was unsure how it would end. She drew her sword and looked at its perfection. It glowed as it reflected the sunlight. The surface was like a flawless mirror. In the light, it did not glow a bright white or silver as she expected. Not even gold, which surprised her given the gold patterns embedded on the blade.

"Quite a nice sword you got there," said a voice behind her. She thought she was alone. "Never seen anything like it."

Korra turned to see the young man in his blue blazer and white button-down shirt now caked with dirt. His hair back in a long ponytail so he could see.

"I wouldn't imagine you would," Korra said.

"Still edgy with me, huh?" O-Ren said. "Nah, I was just saying that I've seen a lot of swords in my time, both in the forces and in Republic City, but never anything like that. It is a beauty, though."

"No, I wasn't trying to be rude. I don't imagine anyone would ever have seen this sword. It is from the first world."

O-Ren never gave up his cool appearance, but inside he was stunned. A sword from an extinct world. He tried not to look amazed by it, but it was difficult. "May I see it?"

Korra handed it to him. Upon touching it, O-Ren's demeanor suddenly changed. He looked confused, and tired, as if he had suddenly lifted a heavy load and placed it on his back. As if gravity had increased. "Whoa, this is…this is not for my hands." He gave it back to her.

"What is it?" Korra asked. O-Ren regained his nonchalant attitude.

"Just heavy. With more than just weight, I mean. That isn't just metal in there. There are…other components, components that I can't really grasp because I'm just a human. Something only an Avatar can wield. Look…look at how it glows in the sunlight."

Korra held up the sword again. She tried to distinguish the general color. Suddenly she saw it distinctly.

"See that?" O-Ren asked. "That glow. It looks like a greenish-blue, doesn't it? Looks like Clasma."

Korra saw the colors now, clearly. She saw the sun's light run over the surface of the blade and illuminate the tiny green speckles of tangible cosmic energy that was embedded into the sword. Embedded by Shoogar. But it was not for his hands to use, just as it was not for O-Ren's hands to use.

_But, then I can use it_...Korra thought.  
_  
Only the weapon was missing one crucial component..._

Korra put the sword back in the sheath and looked at O-Ren. "We should start moving out. It is going to be a long day."

The sun continued to rise. The sky was so clear and beautiful. It was hard to believe there was any impending doom in such beautiful weather.  
It was starting to get warm, as if winter was finally leaving. Just as Korra felt that it was always dark in Republic City, so too did she feel that it was always cold. The weather warming up was a nice change, even for someone like her from the South Pole.

The team continued toward Metro. Hours later, they could smell the sea. They were close. They heard the sound of automobiles. Large automobiles utilizing the highways that surrounded the small patches of forestry that they traveled through. Oogi was getting more difficult to conceal in the tiny bit of forestry left.

"I'm going to have to leave Oogi behind at some point," Tenzin said. "I don't think he will have any trouble if he is found. He can get pretty aggressive with strangers even if nothing is wrong. I think he will be okay on his own for a short time."

"Uhm, Korra? What will happen to the animals who can bend if we defeat Daya?" Sydney asked. Korra stopped walking and thought deeply about this question as everyone else pressed on.

"You know what? I have no idea. Maybe they will lose their bending, too? Or maybe they get their bending in a way that is different from the way humans do. I mean, they were the original benders before humans were given the ability."

"Will that be bad, though? If bending still exists in them?"

"I don't think so. Animals are different from humans. They live off instinct, not off of reason. they've never known reason. They know love, though...I don't think them maintaining their bending would really affect the human race."

"Oh, I was just wondering. Also, there was something else I wanted to ask you…"

"Korra!" Mako yelled from ahead, "Come on, we've made it. You can see Metro from up ahead." Korra apologized to Sydney, the girl she had barely met, and quickly walked to catch up with the group. They stood on a hill, occluded by the brush of trees, overlooking several highways which fed into the city of Metro. Beyond the city was the sea that they had sensed a few miles back. The town was still some distance away, but they could see what it had become. The roads going in were occupied only by military vehicles carrying soldiers to and from the city. Walls had been constructed around the perimeter of Metro, and sentinels waited constantly on these walls for their target. For Korra and her friends.

The city beyond the walls wasn't like Republic City at all, which was what Korra expected. The largest building was no larger than a few stories. There were no skyscrapers, and it was not a very big city. It sat on the water but only spanned a few miles in each direction. The buildings were all made from some old kind of brick. Very luxurious and beautiful. To the right of the city, there was an area cluttered with old, dilapidated apartment buildings, makeshift homes looking like they were about to fall apart. Away from these buildings, to the left and toward the sea, the city looked very pleasing to the eye. The buildings were very ornately designed. Like a town for only the rich to enjoy. Korra had a feeling where the survivors of the city were staying, as opposed to where the military and Qu were residing.

"There's a better vantage point on that hill over there. We can get a better idea of what we are up against."

The team sneaked through the trees, careful not to give off a signal of their presence to the watchful military down below. They found themselves on top of a much larger hill, closer to the walls of the city. They could see over the walls and see movement on the cobblestone streets. They were still too far to make any kind of judgment about what was going on. It was mid-afternoon by now.

Bolin sat on a rock but suddenly shot up. "Ow," he looked down where had planted himself and saw a pair of binoculars. Behind the rock was y sandwich bag filled with some trash and thermos next to it. Bolin examined the binoculars and ran to the team.

"Hey guys, these things are really good. Have a look, I bet you can see everything going on down there."

"Where did you find those?" Korra asked.

"They were just laying over there by the rock. My old detective mind is telling me that it looks like someone was here before us and left their supplies. I doubt it was the military. Whoever it was left remains of a packed lunch, so I assume they had been here a while watching the city. And they had these binoculars, which are pretty damn good, nothing like I've ever seen. This ain't just some military guard."

Lin looked through the binoculars. The zoom features were incredible. She was taken aback at how clearly she could see the streets of Metro. She could see every detail of brick buildings, of the cobblestone streets. Almost as if she could see each thread in the uniforms of the soldiers that marched through the street. The town's general layout could be seen from the hill. An overall brown color, the city within the metal walls around it. The entire city was built upon a large hill. At the top of the hill was the train station-a larger, taller building with train times and screens. These screens were broadcasting the events going on in the city, Qu's face filling most of them. His smiling face. Qu and his forces had overtaken the train station and made it their new headquarters. Keeping track of everything that went in and out. The metal walls stretched into the sea where they couldn't see where it ended. Korra felt uneasy seeing the walls going into the sea. She knew the evil that was now moving through the depths of the waters. Beyond the train station tower, Lin could almost see the deteriorating tenement homes where they assumed the surplus citizens, the survivors of Republic City, were being kept. Stripped of their rights.

"It looks like a parade," Lin said. Arrays of soldiers walked through the streets, wearing the new black uniforms that Lin had seen the Republic City police forces sporting before they fled the city. The soldiers marched through the cobblestone streets of Metro, guards forcing back any bystanders aggressively just in case they were threats. Bystanders who looked like Pratt Street drug addicts-underfed, terrible clothes, dirty, sleepless. Depressed. The soldiers would yell and push them back if they came even an inch too close. "They are marching toward the train station. That big building at the top of the hill. Looks like Qu's face on their flags."

"The train station is underneath that hill. That is literally why that hill exists at all-room for the tunnels. An artificial hill. A huge network of tunnels rests underneath, and the big building is the station. A city built upon a hill," O-Ren recited.

"A parade held by Qu, in Qu's honor. Not the humblest of men," Mako said. Qu's face could be seen on the screens as he stood on a balcony on the train station building, looking out with his smiling face at his loyal subjects like a tyrannical king.

"How can those people be loyal to him? He's saved them to gain their trust then forces them into that kind of lifestyle? Living in misery and fear of their leader? Beating them up for just standing around? _These_ are the people of the new world, the people we will save?" Korra said.

"These people are scared, Korra," Tenzin said. "Because of their government, they have become fearful and the only thing they know is that they are safe under Qu. That they haven't died yet means they are safe. They don't know otherwise. Even the terrible means of living is not enough to mask the fact that they have an army supposedly around to protect them from terrorists."

"It is nonsense. I'm going to show them what Qu really is," Korra started to walk toward the edge. Lin stood in her way. "Move."

"Korra, you can't just walk up to those walls. They have their eyes on everything. They'll shoot you on sight. You are a terrorist to them. And once you get in, what do you plan to do?"

"I'm the Avatar…"

"That might mean nothing to them, now. Qu has proved his superiority to them, he has established himself as their ruler because of his bending, because of his position and his illusion of peace that he is promising. That is even if you can get in. We need to think about this. We need a plan." Suddenly, the team heard the sound of someone speaking, barely audible, around them.

**_And…*static…approximately half and hour…*static…speech. Parade is underway here in Metro…*static._**

"What is that. Did you guys hear that?" Bolin walked over to where he found the binoculars. The source of the static and occasional speech was coming from within the empty lunch bag. It sounded like a radio. He dumped out the bag's contents and found a radio identical to the one Lin and Tenzin were given. Lin eyed it suspiciously and tuned it slightly to filter out the static. A commentator on the parade in Metro was talking.

_**Qu looks happy on this beautiful day, folks. He has established his headquarters at the prominent Metro Train Station. His State of the Republic address will address the war on terror against the fascist group, ONI, who have been threatening our citizens and has recently attempted a massive attack on Republic City. Qu was able to bring these survivors to Metro, and today he will speak about the future of the Republic of Nations as he accepts the position of Commander in Chief.**_

"Wait, what!?" Korra said. "He is the commander now? Who made that decision?"

"I think he did. I think he is the only one left," Lin said. "All the generals it seemed have gone AWOL. What I want to know is why the transmissions for this parade, which seems like it is broadcasting to the citizens of Metro, is being transmitted over the police frequencies. Does everyone have a radio now that can pick up these frequencies?"

"Hey you guys," Asami said from a short distance in the woods. "You should see this."

There was a path going into the woods, made from some kind of machete cutting away branches of the trees. The brush was cleared away and the path led to a small shack not too far from the cliff.

The shack was no taller than Tenzin. They were surprised it was still standing from the look of it. Mako looked through the shattered window to see if there was anything suspicious. Korra just walked in to complete this same task. "There's nothing here. Just a tool shed." She walked outside and examined the woods surrounding the shack. There was no path carved out of the brush leading anywhere like the one they had just walked through to get to this shack. Whoever used it stopped at this shed. "It seems like something important should be here."

Lin walked in to examine the small shed. "I wouldn't conclude things so quickly. I may have lost my metal bending, but I can still detect hollowness just the same." She tapped the wooden floor with her foot, then bent down and ripped off a piece of wood. "Yep, just as I suspected. There is a room under here. Like I said, I'll always be able to detect things like this."

They pulled the remaining tiles off and hopped down into the room underneath the shed. There was a hallway which led to a tunnel. The tunnel ran straight toward Metro.

"What is this?" Syndey asked.

"Maybe an old tunnel?" Mako said.

"Maybe part of the metro system that goes underneath the city. It looks like we can take it into the city," Lin answered.

"How do we know we won't be walking right into a trap or something?" Bolin asked.

"Only one way to find out, right?" Korra said. She made her way toward the long tunnel to the city. The Team followed, not knowing what else to do, keeping their eyes open for any cameras or sentinels, but at the same time feeling as if the enemy was not even smart enough to find this secret tunnel. The tunnel cycled through light and dark stretches. Familiar with secret tunnels, the team held the wall to ensure they always knew the direction they were going as opposed to where they came from. There was a long dark stretch before the light returned and the team saw that the tunnel had grown. There were old train tracks laid on the ground. It looked as if no train had rolled through these tunnels in years.

As they moved on, they began to feel a rumbling in the ground with each step. The walls vibrated from the sounds of passing freight trains nearby.

"We must be close to the city. There are probably tunnels around us where Milan's trains are coming in," O-Ren said.

"Why wouldn't they have this place utilized? Why can we just stroll through this easily?" Korra asked.

"My only guess is they don't know this is here," Lin said. "Most of the soldiers are cops from Republic City. And Qu is their leader. They don't know how these tunnels are organized, and apparently they were never told by the people that did know. This network is very complicated, and its designers know it like the back of their hands. Qu, however, most likely only knows the basic tunnels that go in and out."

"Sounds like he will make a pretty bad commander. Among other things, he has terrible strategy," O-Ren said.

The team continued on. The tunnel became very dark and soon they all bumped into a dead end. There was metal debris and cargo piled up in front of them, blocking their path. Disallowing them from pressing forward.

"Well now what? There is something here," Mako said. "Did we miss a turn or something back there? Whoever took this tunnel before us got somewhere."

"We're underneath the streets now," Korra said. "I can feel the soldiers walking above us now. There must be a way out of here. Look around the walls for a door or something."

They looked in the dim lighting for a passage, which proved to be extremely difficult and frustrating. Eventually, Asami found a door to a hallway jutting out from the tunnel. Korra had gone toofar to have any fear of apprehension at this point. If anyone tried to subdue her, she kept her hand on her sword. Ready to cut down anyone in her way. The hallway felt disorganized. It led in all different directions, and many of the passageways looked like they had been made by knocking down some of the concrete walls. The lights flickered like it was a horror movie. A mess of wet footprints were left on the ground. Water mixed with dirt, mud, oil. Recent footsteps. Someone was moving people through these tunnels. Hopefully out of the city. And hopefully, it wasn't Qu moving them.

They feared this hallway would lead to some torture chamber. The hallways began to ramp up toward the surface. The sounds of the outside world became audible, and soon they found themselves in a cellar of one of the buildings. A window near the ceiling allowed the bright rays of the outdoors to shine through, periodically being blocked by passers-by.

"I'd be careful here, we don't now who took this tunnel and is in this house, right now," Tenzin said.

"There are two here, but I don't think it will be a problem," Korra said.

"Why's that? They just too easy too for us or something?" Bolin asked, smiling.

"Well, not for that reason," Korra walked to the stairs, making sure not to show herself through the windows lest some guard walked by and saw her. She signaled for the rest of the group to do the same as she led them to the third floor. A very faint murmur could be heard coming from the closet. Bolin, Mako, and Sydney peaked through the windows to get a glimpse of the parade going up the street below as Korra opened the closet door to reveal two of Qu's soldiers tied up, gagged, and completely stripped of their uniforms. Wearing nothing but their undergarments. They were bruised and barely tried to move or speak. Out of energy.

Lin quickly drew her sword as Korra removed the gagging device in his mouth. She knew the man. "Feng! What happened to you two? What are you doing here?" Lin knew the man from the force. He was one of the mindless cronies that blindly followed Graft and Qu and took every opportunity to give Lin shit.

Feng looked up at them with eyes of hate and fear at the same time. He looked up at Lin, Tenzin, Asami, and Korra. He struggled to get free. The other man he was tied to was unconscious. The ropes were tied tight. He growled, trying to break the them. Moving his fingers, hoping to come in contact with some metal in the room. Lin could tell what he was doing. She held the sword to his throat, threatening him if he tried to metal bend.

"And don't try and metal bend this sword. Toph refined it to be so pure she could barely bend it," Lin said.

"Tell us what is going on," Asami insisted. "Who was here? Who did this to you?"

"You! It was your people. Your terrorists," Feng yelled. Lin warned him to quiet down. She noticed he had no gun or radio. He could not possibly signal for help other than by yelling really loudly and getting lucky. "You damn people. You just want everything that isn't yours."

"They stole your uniforms? They took them and put them on?" Lin asked.

"You should know. They spoke of you. Of all of you. You're all part of it. What is this operation of yours? You'll have to deal with me should anything happen to Qu. You hear me!?" He continued to try and break free but Lin just smacked him across the face and kicked him back into the closet, shutting the door. Tenzin joined Bolin at the window, looking out at the parade.

"So then," he said, "There are at least two people out there, possibly marching in that parade, that don't belong. That are part of this 'terrorist organization.'"

"Are they part of ONI?" Bolin asked.

"ONI?" Tenzin asked.

"They've been on the radio a few times. They always interrupt Qu's broadcasts and talk about how they are against him. They say they are superior to him," Bolin explained. "It sounded like they had a large following and were planning something."

"Why do they call themselves ONI?" Lin asked. Bolin turned and pointed to Korra.

Lin looked at Korra, and thought about what this meant.

"They think Korra is some kind of savior for them," Asami jumped in. "She's been their inspiration, at least that is how it sounds. But it's different from her being the Avatar. They don't see her like that, I don't think. It didn't sound like it. From what we know, though, we can't tell if this ONI is just a small group of people like us or…something more."

"That must be why Feng thought we were in on this," Lin said. "If Korra is their inspiration it isn't far-fetched that the rest of us, all of Team Avatar, have played some role in the creation of this ONI." Lin thought about the underground tunnel leading to this house, to this meeting place where two soldiers were tied up. The underground tunnel from outside the city where they found a pair of very high-tech binoculars. Where they found a radio that could intercept police transmissions. The same radio that she was given by a group of people on her way back from Tenzin's family. "This organization. ONI. No, I do believe they know us. All of us. That must be why we are terrorists to Qu's regime. We are the indirect creators of this pro-human organization, now fighting against Qu's pro-bending one. I know it. That is how those people knew us when they gave the radio to Tenzin and me. They knew we would need it. They knew we would find others like them, and that we would be known among all the members when we came across them. And now they are here, somewhere out in that march. Something is going to happen soon."

Bolin rubbed his head. Mako was confused as well. "So wait, we are like some sort of idols for this organization that's been broadcasting over the radio?"

"Whenever they formed, our actions in Republic City must have set something in motion. Must have driven them to act," Korra presumed.

"I agree," Lin said. "Today is big day for Qu. I can't imagine ONI won't be doing something to ruin it. To mock it or anything. Maybe we can get an idea of what these people are trying to do. From the sounds of it, they've just made Qu look foolish by jamming his broadcasts. That's why he now transmits on police frequencies. He must have thought he could prevent them from intercepting it if it was on a different frequency band."

"Uhh," Asami said. She was looking out the window. Korra was a few steps behind her reflecting on what Lin had said. "Korra, you might want to see something." Korra looked up. Out the window, she saw the blur of moving soldiers in the parade. Asami looked at her, worried. Korra walked toward the window. The scene through the window came into focus. A section of the parade was not like the ones before - rows of men walking in unison. There was a section where the men marched as usual but at the center was some white, fluffy creature, its leash being pulled by a soldier. The creature carried what appeared to be a large amount of military equipment, and sported some Qu propaganda. A whip cracked against the creatures back when it refused to comply to the soldier forcibly dragging it through the streets.

Korra looked through the window, unable to move, unable to think clearly.

_Naga._

Korra slammed her hands against the sill and turned to leave the room. Asami ran and stood in her way. "Korra wait! What are you doing?" Asami asked quickly and anxiously. "Please, don't do anything rash we can fix this we just can't act out of anger." Asami tried to convince Korra but she just walked through her.  
Trying to find a way to get outside, onto the rooftops and stealthily make her way toward her beloved polar bear dog. The rest of the team approached to help keep Korra back, but stopped when they saw Asami grab Korra's hand. They suddenly didn't feel they were in the right to intervene.

"Please, Korra," Asami nearly begged. "I don't want you to go down there. I don't want you to get killed," Asami looked down and said, barely audible, "I don't want to lose you."

This stopped Korra. She knew how this was all going to end. It pained her to think that Asami's fear of losing Korra was inevitably going to come true when this was over. She didn't know what to do. She stood still, thinking whether or not to ignore Asami or make her happy. Make Asami happy up until the end, or dismantle the relationship they had formed to make the end easier for her to handle. Korra knew these were both terrible ways of thinking.

Outside, the marching stopped. The Team returned their gaze to the windows. Upon the top of the hill, Qu stood on a newly constructed balcony on the train station tower. The screens which lined the tower and were installed across the city displayed Qu's smiling face. The new commander in chief. He greeted the arrival of the parade in his honor as they reached his doorstep.

The police radio had been simply transmitting sounds of the parade from outside. The commentator spoke again.

_**Well, folks. It looks like the time has come. Gang Qu will be taking on his position as Commander in Chief, ready to lead this nation into the future just as Graft had promised. Today we honor Qu as the chosen disciple and successor of Graft. Today, he will speak the word of truth to us. It appears as well that the leader of the terrorist faction ONI's polar bear dog has been apprehended and will be presented today as a gift to our savior. Let us go now to Gang Qu in Metro as he begins his speech.**_

Korra couldn't take it anymore. It was too much for her to hear about this psychopath being the "bearer of truth". The one leading the world into the future. She knew there was no future. But above this, she could not bear to think of this man who she hated so much being the new owner of her best friend. She would never stand by and watch Naga be given to a man so evil.

"I'm sorry Asami," Korra broke free of Asami's grasp. "I'm not just going to let this happen. I would do anything to save Naga. She's been with me my whole life, and I'd gladly risk my life to save her. And I know I can. I've got a reason unlike any reason Qu or his men could even fathom. I love Naga. If it was you down there, I would do the same thing." Korra turned and walked out of the room as Qu began his speech.

_**My people. The citizens of Metro. Survivors of the terrorist attack on Republic City. Republic of Nations. I speak to you all today as your new Commander in Chief. As your new leader. The United Forces are under my control now, and I plan to do all I can to utilize this power to keep you all safe from the evils that preside in this world.**_

"Jeez, his strategy sucks, and he writes terrible speeches," Bolin said, trying to ease the tension. Korra had just stormed out, leaving Asami without words. Leaving most of the team without words at the last thing Korra had said. Mako rose.

"Are we just going to do nothing about her running out there like that?" He yelled.

"No…" Asami said calmly. "Let her do this. She knows what she is doing."

Korra was already a few buildings away. She sprinted across the rooftops, getting from one to another with such ease one would think she was like a liquid flowing in a stream. As she approached the train station, she came across guards posted on the rooftops and balconies. She slipped by at just the right moments and took them down stealthily behind billboards and raised levels, out of sight. Korra could not be stopped in her quest to save her best friend. The speech rolled on.

_**We have been able to pinpoint the source of these attacks. A terrorist group known as ONI has been responsible for vandalism, scandal, spreading lies, issuing threats, and worst of all, causing the biological breakout which forced many innocent citizens of Republic City into madness while we did all we could to escort the survivors out to safety.**_

_**But ONI is nowhere near a victory. We have begun to rebuild Republic City. It is quickly returning to its former state. And with your aith completely in your government, and only by remaining here under our caring supervision, we can eradicate these threats from these "pro-human" psychopaths. Do not let their slogans fool you. Their "pro-human" is synonymous with a wish to end all benders. To end all those who do not believe what they believe. They believe we are blasphemous. They believe we are evil for being chosen by the Spirits. The Spirits gave us these powers, and with this power we hold the responsibilities over your well-beings. Over your lives.  
**_  
Korra slid underneath a ventilation shaft and off the side of a building onto a fire escape high above the ground. She was a few blocks from Naga. She could sense her friend, tied up, scared, burning with desire to escape.

_**Your time of peace has come. Republic City will rise. We will rise. Your government will provide for you, and you will see a new world in which…*static**_. Static, then there was nothing. The screens all went dark, but not off. The speakers set up through the city emitted a very low, buzzing noise. An eerie buzzing noise. Korra perched on the fire escape, not knowing how to continue. Her tiny head could be seen from the rest of the Team back in the abandoned house as they watched with curiosity at what was happening to Qu's transmission.

The low buzzing stopped. The screen remained dark, but it became apparent that it was displaying a very dark room. A light turned on in this dark room, a very bright spotlight, on the image being displayed. It was a video of a desk. A live stream. A man walked in front of the spotlight and sat at the desk. His face veiled in darkness. Qu looked up in extreme anger to see this man on all of the screens which once displayed Qu's face.

"No. NO!" He yelled, but his voice was drowned out by this new speaker.

_**Good evening, Republic of Nations. This is the speaker of the pro-human organization, ONI. The very organization that Qu has proclaimed preach and promote terrorism. The very organization that Qu has proclaimed to be the ones responsible for the incident at Republic City. The very organization Qu has proclaimed seeks a fascist world without any benders, without freedom, without life.**_

Qu walked through the train station, yelling at his sound and video engineers to remedy the situation.

"What has happened? Fix this! Turn it off turn it off!"

"Sir we are not playing this. Our equipment has been altered. The video is being transmitted from somewhere else."

"Well stop it! Stop the transmission and find out where it is coming from!"

The engineers looked at each other. "We don't know how, sir. We have no idea. We would just have to break our equipment, but it looks like each monitor and speaker is picking up the signal on its antenna. We would have to break every single one in the city."

"Why can't you alter the receivers…"

"We don't know how. The equipment was here. We didn't design it," they said.

"Worthless. Fine, then. Just destroy them. Destroy all the monitors until this filth cannot be heard."

There were thousands of monitors throughout the city. As Qu rounded his men up, the message continued.

_**We are not here to force you to believe anything. We are not here to criticize and tell you that you must think differently. We only ask you to open your eyes. Open your eyes, look around you, and contemplate the life you are currently living as citizens under your 'savior', Qu.  
**_  
_**In the last few weeks, you have experienced a tragedy. We all feel a sadness as one over the recent events in Republic City. Over the events leading to many deaths and the destruction of many homes. We, too, were devastated in our exile from Republic City. We understand your pain. Your fear. We have watched our work, our homes, our lives burn and diminish. We have been hurt. How can we be the ones causing the destruction if we too have been affected by it?  
**_  
_**We ask you to open your eyes. To understand what YOU are seeing and not what you are being told to see. To use your own judgment to decide what is right and wrong. To decide who's side you are on. To decide what it is with your life you choose to do. I will not preach my beliefs. I will give the facts. The proofs. The evidence.  
**_  
Korra began to sense a chaos erupting in the streets. The citizens became uneasy, and the soldiers looked around in fear of what would happen.

_**Qu has become your new Commander in Chief. A position so powerful. Power over an army, over the laws, over the nation. But how is it that he has attained this power? Who has given it to him? And if Graft was your answer, who was Graft in all of this? When did these people obtain the authority to dictate where you go, where you live, what to look at and what to think? Was is his heroic act? Was it his smothering of a terrorist faction, a terrorist faction you have never seen in real life, a terrorist faction told to you only by your self-appointed leader? The terrorist faction which has so far brought you no harm, that has done nothing more than broadcast our goals, our philosophy, rather than Qu's repetitive promise for a better world, which he has failed and will fail to provide. A terrorist faction who has 'unleashed a biological weapon', but the only way you know that this terrorist faction is responsible is because you were told by your almighty leaders. Your almighty bending masters. Your gods.  
**_  
_**Open your eyes. Qu has given you nothing. He has packed you into tenements. Rounded you up like cattle. His soldiers, his bending-dependent drones, beat you down when you so much as look at them the wrong way. Kept you locked to the ground, forever trapped and unable to rise. Because they have a power that you don't. Because they have an authority over your life and your beliefs. This was Graft's belief: that the human race will seek the power to bend because that is what gives them authority. That makes them a god. His ideology lives on through Qu, and this world is the result. A world whose leaders perpetually lie and destroy and kill. Regress rather than advance. Hate rather than love. Who use fear to control their subjects. Qu has described a recovering Republic City, but we have seen the city in the aftermath of this "biological attack", only hours ago, and we have footage of its current state. Its actual current state.  
**_  
On the screen flashed an image of the burning Republic City. A very recent picture after CHAOS had made its way through the city. Buildings still collapsed. Fires eating away any remaining organisms. There were groups of people going through the city, putting out the fires and cleaning up the wreckage. None of them had a military uniform._**  
**_  
_**It is clear that Qu has lied. Republic City no longer stands. If anyone is in the process of rebuilding it, is us. It is ONI, the "terrorist faction". So let me ask you this: if your leader has lied about their mission to rebuild Republic City. If your supposed enemy has shown no evidence of violence toward your safety, and is only seeking to bring you a better life by asking you to open your eyes to the enslavement of your being. If we are the only ones rebuilding the city Qu has sworn to save, then what is he to you? I ask, how can one trust him with anything? How can one trust his ideology? His promises? His plan to keep you and your family safe?  
**_  
_**We are ONI. We do not hate the bender. We embrace the human. We welcome all who believe the same. For those who believe different, those who refuse to believe in the potential of the human and instead give up everything to the power of bending, those like Qu, those like Graft, have given up their humanity as well. I hope you will all realize what you are actually seeing, and trust this above the things you are told. I hope you will join us. We spread the word of truth. We are superior to Qu. Our army grows as his dwindles. Dwindles because he is weak. Because he has refused to move on from a world dependent on bending. We depend on ourselves, on our human potential, and because of that, we have advanced. We have surpassed this civilization, and we plan to move further.**_

We are ONI. We are your once great leaders. Your once great generals. Your once great CEOs, police officers, engineers, musicians, writers. Friends. Family members. Loved ones. We are not one, not ruled by one. We are each our own rulers.

_**Remain in this world, and Qu will completely enslave your mind.  
**_  
_**Join ours, and your mind will surpass its limits.  
**_  
The screen went dark. A small tune played over the speakers. An anthem. The anthem of the organization, ONI. During the anthem, the chaos that Korra had felt was unleashed.

Soldiers dispersed from the parade as bystanders fled the scene, running for the city limits, running for their families, running away just from Qu's men. Korra took the opportunity to make her way to Naga. A riot had ensued as angry citizens fought back against the soldiers. People countered the brutal attacks and stole military nightsticks. People mobbed and fled in all directions. Qu's men flew through the streets, destroying all of the monitors and speakers blaring the anthem of ONI.

Korra pushed through the throng of people and soldiers, occasionally taking down several soldiers in her way and those who were attacking innocent civilians. The riot was growing. She broke free of the tangle of people and saw Naga up ahead, isolated from the rampaging going on behind her in the streets. As she made her way to her friend, a man in a military uniform appeared, hopped on Naga's back, and hit her lightly with a small whip to get her to run away.

"I don't think so!" Korra yelled. She ran after the man on Naga's back. He did not run for the station or for Qu. Instead, he ran down an alley far away from the chaos and into a warehouse. Korra ran from the panic, heard several guns fire into the air and saw the glow of a fire burning before the situation sounded to be quickly contained. From the parade. Citizens ran full-speed for the walls and for their homes, ensuring that their families were safe and trying to find a way to escape. ONI's message had worked.

Korra needed to make sure Naga was safe. That was the only thing on her mind. She followed the man into a warehouse but was depressed to see no one around her once she entered. However, at the center of the room was a small staircase to a lower level. The idea seemed familiar to her.

Within seconds, Korra was downstairs and sprinting through another underground tunnel. An old track was laid down. It was identical to the tunnel in which she had entered the city. She hoped her Team was able to escape the way they had entered. This tunnel led East, out of the city. Ahead, Korra saw the light. The end of the tunnel. She was on her last thread of hope. She had not seen nor heard Naga running ahead of her. She was much slower than her polar bear dog friend.

Korra emerged from the tunnel into an old train yard far from the walls of Metro. She slowly ran on into the countryside and up into the forest on a large hill. Where the hill became a plateau, Korra collapsed. Panting. She did not see Naga anywhere. No footprints. No scent. No leads. Nothing. Behind her she saw the city of Metro. The sea just beyond it, the moonlight now reflecting off of it as the Sun was setting. She turned over on her back and looked at the burning sky, thinking again about the impending doom on this planet, and how saving everyone from a man like Qu was so insignificant when Daya was out there, coming to destroy everything in existence.

A small speck appeared as the day turned to night. Soon, the giant bison Oogi was upon Korra, carrying the Team with him. Korra was shedding a few tears as they reunited.

"You're okay!" Asami said as the team ran up to her. Bolin, Mako, and Asami group hugged Korra. The other members stood awkwardly and watched, not feeling compelled to join.

"I couldn't find her," Korra said sadly. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay, Korra," Bolin said, smiling. "We will find her. She at least safe and out of the city."

"The city…the city is out of control," Korra replied.

"But it's working! Just like you hoped," Mako said. "They're leaving behind their dependence on Qu. They are resisting him."

"Qu's men have kept them trapped within the city. They blocked their exits, except for the ones they don't know about" Lin said sternly.

"But that is okay!" Asami said. "They know what is right. They have the power to rise against Qu, and they will. I know they will."

"Yeah, especially now that this organization, ONI, is in on it, too," Bolin said.

"Then, there is hope," Korra repeated. _Hope._ She smiled. She looked beyond their group hug at the remaining members. "Hey, we are a team aren't we? That means you all have to take part in group hugs." It was tough for Korra to express optimism, but honestly, the gestures of resistance to Qu shown by the citizens of Metro, the power of the people who embrace human potential over bending, and just the sight of Naga, made her feel good again. Good that this race had something, had the ability to survive, to continue on and thrive in the new era she would be forced to bring about. This feeling was fueled more as her closest friends joined in on the group hug, all reluctantly, except for the joyous Sydney who snuggled close to Bolin.

"So maybe, we shouldn't cast this ONI aside just yet," Korra said after they had hugged tightly.

"Yes," Tenzin said. "They are much bigger and more influential than we thought."

**/*Ah, the allusions. Maybe some of you are beginning to see the theme of the story, and see the kinds of things that have influenced me. I have this whole story planned out pretty well. If you can see the allusions, fear not, my story will not just be some copycat of another but starring the avatar members :) there is still more to come. I do not plan on stopping this until I am finished. */**


	51. Misty Grove

**/*Edit: Never played Skyrim lol. Just made it up (chapter name). Complain if it bothers you */**

-Misty Grove-

Korra thought she could see just about every star in the sky, being out in the woods where she was. It was so clear. So free of any clouds. She knew this place. These woods. Somehow, it seemed familiar to her, like déjà vu, she had been here before, in another time. A very weak recollection of memories and feelings came to her, instilling a sense of familiarity within her about these woods.

East of here was the Si Wong Desert. Soon, very soon, the lush forests would become rock and then sand as they plunged deeper into the Earth Kingdom. Sand as they would come upon the boundaries of the vast and seemingly endless desert. Although she had never been to it, a feeling of fear overcame her, a sensation like she was going to die.

_His memories. Aang's,_ She thought. He had been through these woods, just like her. It was no guess, she was sure of it. She was sure he had been here with the old Team Avatar, and now she was traveling through with the new one.

He was trying to reach her. To help her. Guide her. She could feel it. It was difficult to communicate with him, not because of her weak connection to her Spiritual side, but also because she did not want to hear his objections to her mission.

It was late. Although the Team had witnessed a very reassuring scene, the people of Metro beginning to realize the truth about their leaders, they were unsure about what to do next. They had made camp where they found Korra lying on her back, no idea where to go next, what to do next. It was only a few hours ago when they were arguing about the next step, right after everything seemed at peace during their group hug.

"So, where do we go from here?" Asami asked. No one answered right away. The question had no clear answer. Nothing was clear now. "I mean, should we go back and help them escape the city? It's obvious that they are all scared. Even though they know something is wrong, whether they are still scared of us or actually are beginning to mistrust Qu, they are still at his mercy. Or should we press on…"

"Press on where?" Korra asked. "To the desert? With just us eight? Against the entire Spirit World?" Korra was frustrated again. The feeling of victory was short-lived. They had to act from here, but she didn't know what to do. "Going to the desert now won't help anyone. We'll just be waiting for our deaths, then."

"We should at least just go somewhere, at least toward the desert so we can be close by, if we find help…" Mako suggested.

"But then," Korra looked back at the city. "I'd be abandoning them."

"Korra you can't worry about all of them," Lin said. "And if you end this crisis with the Spirit World and bending ends, then Qu won't have anymore power over them. You'll be indirectly saving them, too."

Korra thought about this. Even if Qu had no bending, would they still fear him? Or would they start to depend on him again? Would he blame their disobedience as the cause of some bending plague? More lies to keep control when he knows he's lost what gave him the control in the first place.

Korra, again, had so many questions. She just wanted to vomit them all out at once and get answers. "I don't feel right leaving them down there. They have been changed by ONI's message. ONI is more involved in this than we thought. I know they have changed the citizens. I knew they've all been feeling restless, been getting tired of the oppression of Graft and now Qu. Been getting tired of the world…ruled by bending. When I was out there on the streets I could feel it. I could feel the unrest within them. The chi that they gave off was so unstable. But they were unsure. Unsure about the truth. ONI's message was the driving force. The trigger that freed their unrest. They want to escape, they want to be free just like ONI said they could be. They all know that. But Qu still has them in his clutches. Who knows what he will do? Who knows if he still has Clasma and is going to kill the heretics? The ones who've turned away from him. I know I'm fighting to save the whole human race from the Spirits, but I can't just ignore so many people who might die like this along the way. But we still don't have what we came for. We don't have enough people. Not enough people to save them from Qu. Not enough to stop CHAOS. Whatever ONI's purpose was for broadcasting that message, they must have had long-term expectations, or very little hope for the people of Metro, otherwise why didn't they just send their 'army' and tear down the walls…" Korra suddenly remembered the footprints in the tunnels underneath the ground. The soldiers tied up in the abandoned house. The man who took Naga.

"You heard the speaker, they don't want people they can't trust," Mako said. "They can't just rescue everyone and accept them. Could be people like Qu they are saving. He'd ruin their whole organization."

"But wait," Korra said. "I think they have been taking people out. I remember the footsteps in the tunnels. What if they've been moving certain people out of the city? Only the people they can trust? Those two men that snuck into the parade were able to alter the monitors to send their message, and I bet the one who took Naga was part of it. Maybe they've been doing that for a while."

"Jeez, Korra. Stop getting all tied up with these people. Stop worrying about what is going on and let's get on with _our_ mission," O-Ren said, fed up with Korra's indecisiveness. "Choose something. Stop sitting here and whining about what to do."

Korra was enraged. She stood and put her face close to his, staring him down. "Oh you think it's so easy? You think because you spent a whole two or so months in the military that you know all about making world-changing decisions?"

"No," he said, he pushed her back. "But at least I wouldn't just do nothing. At least I wouldn't just sit around and ask myself questions I have no answers to. Those people down there are still in trouble, so we try and find a way for them to get out. But maybe they are already receiving help? Then we focus on our mission of stopping Daya. But maybe they don't?! Maybe they are in trouble? And where do we find support to help us? Gee, I don't know, maybe that organization named after you that is doing exactly what you came here to do? But then you ask yourself where these people are? Why aren't they doing more? Ugh, you don't know these answers! And neither do we so stop asking us."

Korra pushed O-Ren back, and he tripped over a rock and fell on his back. He looked at her angrily. Mako came between the two. "Cut it out! Stop acting so immature, we're all just a little restless. It's been a long day."

"Look, I'm sorry I don't just know what to do, O-Ren," Korra said, not so much angry, just desperate.

"I don't care. That isn't what matters, but doing nothing won't get us anywhere," he said.

"Alright, children," Lin said. "Let's just calm ourselves. It's obvious we are all just tired, but let's just try and think this through. Why did we even come to Metro in the first place?"

"We came for help," Asami said. "The United Forces, but then they attacked us so that sort of diminished our hopes. But then, we just thought we could find something here. Something that could help us go up against CHAOS. Any kind of support."

"We came all this way to Metro just to leave in a day?" Mako said. "It's obvious that we haven't gotten what we came for. It's obvious we can't go up against CHAOS like this."

"Fine," Lin said, "So maybe we should stay here. For now. There is no where else to go, and if our mission was to get the help we need to defeat these Spirits, then we shouldn't move on without accomplishing it, or at least knowing that we can't."

Korra watched the stars. Hours later. Lying on her back on the cool grass. She had quickly apologized to O-Ren, but it wasn't very sincere. He had frustrated her. He told her to take a thousand steps when she wasn't even sure how to take one. Both of them were a little anxious. Maybe being back in a close proximity to Qu made him slightly unstable.

Lin told everyone to get some rest, but Korra could hardly sleep. She kept thinking about what was going on. Would she be able to get the help she needed? She just needed something, an army, a weapon, a few more people who believed what she believed. Something that would be able to at least weaken the beast or hold it off or something before coming for them. But even if she found that help, how would they go about such an attack? Head on? Blindly lead them into a battle without any strategy? Solomon would have a field day reaping them.

It was only a matter of time before Solomon would show his face again, and he'd be on his way to the desert to revive the SPORE, which would mean the complete dissolution between the physical and Spirit World once the SPORE began sucking the Cosmic Energy out of this world, sucking the souls out of the humans.

Korra couldn't sleep. She closed her eyes and almost drifted off several times but was repeatedly brought back to reality each time. At first it was his face. Solomon. She saw him in her dreams, smiling at her as if he knew that she was dreaming about him. Nightmares about him, taking her closest friends. Leveling entire cities and killing thousands of people who couldn't fight back…and it felt so real. So close. Like it was happening now. She would wake and look around to make sure it wasn't.

But there was something else she saw. Or rather felt, when she was in that state between being awake and asleep, the state that was prone to strange sensations and hallucinations. She felt something buzzing around her. Oscillating the air pressure. Agitating her sensitive, cosmic energy-detecting nerves. It was like Cosmic Energy, but not as random. There was a pattern. It went up and down. It was controlled and contained information she couldn't really understand.

Korra quietly got up and followed the sensation. Trying to find its source. Compelled to understand it and discover it. She walked far from the wooded area, from her Team. The sound was more distinct now. She heard something else as well. The sound of footsteps. Inhuman footsteps. They felt cold and lifeless. Metal. A metal man?

Korra crossed through some of the trees and thickets until she came to a clearing. She stopped, slowly beginning to understand what she may have come upon. All around her, mist saturated the air. The trees, the land, the hills had become absorbed into it. Her vision was extremely limited to a few inches in front of her. Like walking through a void. She was lost in it. Unable to see, but she could still feel the buzzing, and she understood that something was ahead of her. Something important. The mist had come out of nowhere. It only rested in the clearing in which she was standing. Just this one place and nowhere else. Protecting something. Something holy? Something sacred?

Suddenly, mysteriously, Korra felt she knew what to do. She felt whatever this mist was protecting was her answer. She smiled. She became excited. She didn't even know why, but she knew this was the beginning of something, the very thing that she needed.  
Before continuing, she returned to her Team and woke them all up, against their favor. She hurried, rushing them to get up and accustomed to being awake after sleeping for only a few hours.

"Come on," Korra said, ecstatic, "You have to see this." She ran ahead quickly as the Team sluggishly followed her into the woods. She tried to concentrate to hear the buzzing sound she had followed before, to find the clouds of mist, and soon the Team was at the clearing, surrounded by the thick fog that they too felt just suddenly appeared around them. Unanticipated. Out of nowhere. The walked through it, trying to push it aside, struggling with the pseudo-blindness. A gray abyss. They soon came upon a small hill, the mist continuing on the other side. The sound of stomping could be heard in the distance, pulsing through the mist, agitating it with each stomp.

They crouched down and peaked over the hill, trying to see through the mist. The sight was strange. Bright lights shined through the mist, which continued onward for a long distance before them, but only at their eye level. The hill descended down, and they saw that the ground at the bottom of the hill was underneath the mist. Completely clear, as if underneath a foggy ceiling.

The lights shining through the mist were moving. The Team slid down the hill and found themselves underneath the gassy barrier, looking up at the mist like it was a lowered sky that they could touch.

"Wow," Sydney said, touching the mist from underneath it. "Have you ever seen something like this? The mist just stops here…doesn't go any further down."

Before them, now that the group could see again, there were arrays of various plants. Crops, like a farm. Fields of corn, rows of plants with oranges, strawberries, apples. To the left and right rows of crops stretched out before them. Seemingly infinite patches with healthy vegetation. The stomping they had heard came from dozens of large machines, bright lights attached to the undersides of them, that were traversing through these arrays and quickly and efficiently picking out and packaging each of these fruits growing on the plants. Within seconds, any one of these machines had gone through an entire plant and stripped it of its ripe fruit, while leaving the plant behind, fully in tact so it could produce more. Packages of the ready-to-eat fruit were transferred around the machine on an exterior conveyor belt.

The Team approached the machines. They were incredibly fast. It took them a couple minutes to realize what the machines were actually doing because they would simply brush over a plant and unnoticeably extract the fruit and vegetables.

"What is this?" Bolin asked.

"This is amazing," Mako said, referring to the strange behavior of the mist and the machines picking the plants. O-Ren was nearly in awe as well. "I feel like I've seen this design. I back in Republic City."

"This must have been what I heard," Korra said, referring to the large currents running through these machines to power them. The cold footsteps against the ground. She was too distracted with this to notice the person who had snuck up behind the group.

"Nobody move," the man said. "Hands in the air, immediately."

Behind them, for men in dark uniforms shined a flashlight into their faces. The lights were attached to large, assault rifles, gears and attachments all over it for enhanced performance and power efficiency. The weapon alone looked frightening. The Team complied, putting their hands in the air. The gunmen concluded quickly who they were. At the same time, a man walked through the four men with guns and looked at the group in awe.

"My goodness," he said. "They've found us." He waived the soldiers to put their guns down. The man wore a dark uniform similar to the men, only he sported a long overcoat on top of it. "Our cameras picked up some movement out in the fields. Thought it was Qu so we were out here instantly, but he still isn't smart enough to push through our fog shield. Turns out, it was just you, Korra."

Korra looked surprised. He knew her name.

"Mr. Susumu?" Mako said, uncertain. The Team looked at him in extreme confusion. He looked back, expecting it. He had never mentioned the name before. "You were…my boss. At the power plant. In Republic City before you got fired."

Susumu walked forward, revealing his hardened face. It struggled to contort itself into a small smile. "Ah, an old bender of mine, yes? Hm, he speaks the truth. The name is Susumu. Before Graft overtook my business, I was the lead designer at the power plant, trying to find new ways to generate power without the use of benders. And you, you are Korra, and Lin, and Tenzin," he named off the prominent members of the Team. "It is a pleasure to meet you, our inspiration. Our catalyst."

"What are you talking about?" Korra asked, not sure if the man was a threat. She kept her hand near her sword.

"Please, there is no need to worry. We are grateful for your bravery. Your courage was the final ingredient that drove us into action. Finally, we are stepping up against Qu, against the 'regime', not the art, of bending. Finally, we are encouraging the world to realize they are humans, not Gods. Please come with me. All of you. I must show you the greatness you have inadvertently helped to bring about."

He started to walk off. The group remained, unsure of what to do. He turned around, "What is it going to take to convince you? I've already promised I would not hurt you. I've told you my name…"

"Where are you taking us?" Asami asked.

"To the Eastern Earth Kingdom Division's Headquarters, simply. Misty Grove as we call it. You deserve to see it. All of you deserve to witness the future of this world through brought about through the power of ONI, our organization, built by the human hand for the human mind. "

The name, ONI, induced some strange, mysterious sense of optimism in the group. They headr his words, they had not mistaken the name. Almost as if they had become zombies, the minds of the Team were wiped clean of all uncertainty, question, and doubt. For that moment, they thought nothing, and as if they were not in control of their legs, started following the man, Susumu. They had nothing else left to do, nowhere to go. Their path was unclear, but this man had a capability of untangling their complicated dilemmas.

The men with the guns removed their clips and put their guns on their backs, more reassurance of their peaceful outreach. Susumu walked with his hands behind his back. Silent.

They walked to the edge of the fields were the machines would deposit their packaged goods into contianers. "So," Mako asked, "Whose are these?"  
"They are mine. I designed them. Me and…well, several others. I had always dreamed of automated machines. During my time at the factory as its lead designer, I capped the limit of my own dreams. I thought its limit was finding a way to generate power without the use of benders. That would truly be revolutionary. I found a way to do that, and then Graft told me his plan, and that many of the other managers and CEOs were complying. I didn't want to do business, to put out my work, in a city where some small group of corrupt lawmaking people would take credit for it and use it the way they felt was right, or else threaten me with the force of Qu and his police. What I didn't realize was that generating power without benders was not the limit. It was possible to do manual labor without people at all! Instead of us employing the people to do the work, we would create the machines to do it for us." They walked past the arrays of cargo holding the picked crops and came up to a small building with a large lift elevator. "I didn't think that was possible when I left to continue my work, when I left Republic City because I didn't want to be ruled and controlled. I didn't think it was possible until I met the others who had escaped as well, the others who shared my passion, and not only that, but others who truly believed in their potential to create something unheard of. Who believed that we had a power as humans, not as Spirits or as benders, to drive ourselves beyond our own limits and create something, contribute something, advance the world, bring our society into a better one. I met others who believed in the power of the human, benders and nonbenders alike, who believed that we are truly the most successful, that this world is at its healthiest state, when we embrace our humanity and realize that bending is something handed to us, but our drive, our passion, and our conversion of this passion into something great, into a product, into a idea, into love, is the very thing that defines us as humans, and can never just be bought or given to us. It Is the basis of our existence, and the reason why bending will not advance us, but realizing our potential as humans will. I met these others," He pulled a lever and started to descend, "And we banded together. Together to create a new society that would smother Graft's. Smother his by advancing further, by taking his most vital components out of his world and into ours so that all he would have left was his precious bending, which would get him nowhere. We accept all people, benders and nonbenders, as long as the work we do, we do as humans, with our hands and our minds, and not with our bending. Not with our loving Spirit World's help. You've proven your opposition to Graft, to his and Qu's idea of the world. A world where humans are defined by their bending. You have stood up against him, but not just for him, but for us, too. All of us," The lift descended a short distance. Beneath the trees, underneath the artificial sky of fog, an entire civilization rested, completely unknown to the outside world. Small buildings and factories installed on the ground, houses and shops built in the trees. People walking quickly from one place to another across crudely paved roads. Trucks carrying cargo driving on the more sophisticated roads. Full of people, an organized chaos of citizens running around. Building. Mending. Gathering. Talking. Eating. Walking. So many of them. So many people who felt the same way that Susumu did about Graft and Qu. So many people who must have shared Korra's ideas as well. People who have desired to leave the long influence of the Spirit World on their abilities and realize their potential as independent humans.

Many people walked from one building on the ground to another, carrying papers and tools, driving machines which carried heavy machinery, soldiers patrolling the streets ready to question any interlopers from Qu's regime or welcome any others who have escaped. Power lines ran to each of the buildings and to the homes and stores in the trees. People who couldn't walk very well took small lifts up the trees to their homes while the more active scaled the trees, laughing with others while doing so. Happy. Several of the factories had labels: weapons design, power electronics lab, artificial intelligence lab, communications, asymmetric operations. The list went on. A small direction greeted the team as they walked off the lift with the names of all the factories, departments, districts. The list was huge. The place was much bigger than it looked to them. It stretched for a few miles, cars required to traverse between districts, and only the more daring living on the outskirts of the town.

The name on the directory read "Welcome to Misty Grove". Underneath it was a depiction of a human, a spiral drawn out of its chest, a spiral which seemed to fit the length and width of the human's dimension perfectly. Below the spiral and the figure, the word ONI could be seen. Korra was confused by this. Confused why they decided to name themselves that name. She did not like it. She looked back up at the secret town before her.

"A secret society?" Lin asked. The entire group was astonished by what they saw.

"A secret civilization. A secret world, that will soon rise up and become the next world once we take all of Qu's resources and leave him with nothing," Susumu said. A car pulled up and its doors opened. "Excellent, my ride is here. Come with me. There is much to see. Come, we shall go to District Four, exciting." The Team got in the car with him.

Asami looked at the interior of the vehicle. "This seems familiar. This seems like…something my designers were working on. Is this a satomobile?"

"Ah yes," Susumu said, "Asami Sato, CEO of Future Industries? We've continued your work, in your honor of course. Your designers had found us and wished to finish the designs for the cars you laid out for them. They were brilliant may I include. Genius, more for the casual, comfortable vehicles I should add. They raved about you as a boss. Just as genius as your father, but under the unfair fist of Graft you were underachieving. Not reaching your own potential that you so evidently have a leader. They continued your work here. We wanted to bring you into ONI…but when we saw that you were part of the resistance to Graft, we saw that you were involved with something more important, and you became one of our idols, just like Korra."

Korra felt wrong being called idols for these people. She didn't want to be seen as their solution, as their Avatar like the old world had looked upon her to be. The person to solve all the problems. She couldn't tell if these people needed her to save them, or were just inspired by her to help themselves.

The car traveled down a long highway. At one point, to their left was a large building with fences and barbwire around it.

"What is that place?" Sydney asked.

Susumu had a stern look on his face. "There is no such thing as an ideal society. No such thing as a utopia. We are not trying to disprove this. We realize there will always be evil, those who seek to rise by destroying others, those who believe that the value of life and love for others can be dropped for their own satisfaction to be fulfilled. That place houses such people, for they are not human. They cannot be integrated into this society, into any society, if we want to uphold the value of human life."

They crossed over a bridge. Ahead of them was District Four, cluttered with taller buildings and bigger factories. It looked like a town, almost a city. In the center, a densely populated communal area with what looked like restaurants and places of entertainment. Dozens of buildings with very eccentric yet attractive exterior designs. Interspersed and also surrounding the towns were large buildings, some of them like the factories from District 1 where they entered, and some looked like apartment buildings.

"Here, we have some of our other engineering departments-water treatment, power plants, infrastructure research- as well as our metropolitan sector. Apparently, technological advances weren't the only things being suppressed. We call that area with all the buildings the downtown area. Musicians, cooks, singers, poets…all inspired by the power of the human have come and established themselves here in this district. Inspired by ONI's mission, by an opposition to Graft's dicatorship. All inspired by a will to live independently. This is hardly a movement anymore, it is a new cultural age, a new society forming out of the ashes of the old one based on bending. Additionally, I should mention we have our dormitories here. I think there are a few people here you would be happy to see. I should also add that you are all welcome to stay here if you so please."

"How has this place never been found?" Tenzin asked, looking up at the foggy sky. "Why is all this fog here? Did you find this place like this?"

"Why no," Susumu said simply, "we needed to conceal our society, so we created the fog. Our machines, our own weather machine, produces this simply flawless layer of fog, protecting us from the outside world. Qu's men who have been near it believe to be angry Spirits, and are too scared to breach it. We have guards posted, and soon we will get our new airships off and running, but so far we've had no problems whatsoever. ONI prepares for everything."

"Why do you call yourselves that?" Korra asked, disturbed when hearing him say it. "Do you even know what that means? How can you base your society on the power of the human and call yourself ONI at the same time?"

Susumu smiled. "That is at the heart of our philosophy, our fundamental truth, but I am probably not the one to tell you that. There is someone here who can. I think she will be a better representative for our philosophy. Although unstable, she knows quite a lot about this planet."

The car did not go through the downtown area. It turned to go toward a cluster of buildings, dormitories connected to several engineering plants. The road descended into a tunnel which twisted and turned until the car stopped underneath one of the aforementioned buildings. Outside of the car was a dimly lit tunnel and a short corridor leading to some elevators.

"Excellent," Susumu said. "Come. We shall go up to the lobby." He tipped the driver and they all ascended up to the main hall of the facility they were in. "This network of buildings consists of several dormitories and two laboratories: water-treatment and transportation. This main hall connects those two spheres of living: the dorms to the labs. People who come to us desire to work in a certain field, and so we've made it easy for them to do that by placing them in a comfortable living environment conveniently close to their workplace." The main hall was quite large. Booths were set up everywhere, people selling food, coffee, magazines. Televisions displayed the news. Current events concerning ONI and Qu. Other screens depicted schedules. Statuses of the different projects that were going on. Meeting times for certain departments. Special events happening that day. Stairs zig-zagged up in all directions, people walking down and up all of them, going from home to work and vice versa. The place was big. It probably housed thousands of people. And efficiently built so that no one was cramped. "Our architects and engineers only strive for the best and most comfortable housing for our citizens. We make it easy to see what is going on in our civilization daily. Even in the late hours like today, people have things they want to do. We work tirelessly to preserve the health of our civilization and advance it forward." They walked through the hall and up several sets of stairs, down long, parallel hallways that made Bolin dizzy, and out some doors into a courtyard, lush grass growing from it. The facility surrounded the courtyard, enclosing it. The moon was full. It was nearly midnight now.

Korra looked around. There were a few balls, chewed up and completely mangled. A fence that looked like something big had just run through and tore in apart.

"Here," Susumu said, "we test some of our catapults. We've been able to analyze some fundamental laws of physics out here. Unfortunately, the mass of the things we were launching were quite tedious to bring back once they were launched." Korra walked through the grass, noticing the indents of giant paw prints.  
"So," Susumu continued, "we decided to employ one of the strays that came to us. And I must say, she looks like she is enjoying herself, much more than being kept inside with nothing to do. Let me show you." A boom sounded, and the Team saw a black object flying through the air coming for them. A small ball landed in the air before them. Korra eyed it suspiciously, wondering what it was going to do.

In the distance, the sound of heavy breathing grew exponentially louder. From the other side of the courtyard, a white object, like a cloud, materialized and ran for the ball extremely fast. As she approached, her target changed when she saw Korra, and Naga ran past the black ball and tackled Korra to the ground, licking her face repeatedly and rubbing her head against Korra's.

"Naga!" Korra said, smiling bigger than she ever had in the last year. "I can't believe it." Bolin, Mako, and Asami ran up to Naga as well, and the gian polar bear dog greeted them in a similar fashion as she had remembered them as well, particularly Asami and Bolin. Bolin stuck his face in her cloudlike body.

"Ah, it's just like a big fluffy cloud!" Bolin said.

Korra, still on the ground with Naga on top of her, hugged her best friend's rather enormous head, shedding a few tears after being reunited. "I missed you, girl," she said quietly. She could feel Naga, feel her understanding, feel her returning the same emotions.

"Naga came to us a few weeks back. Carrying two young girls who seemed to have no home. Wherever they came from, it seemed as if they knew they would find us…"

"Two girls?" Korra said. "Are they twins? And they came on Naga?"

"Yes," Susumu said. "They are perfectly fine in the dormitories being watched by one of our nurses. I can't seem to remember their names, but they are quite strange if I may say in the nicest way. Always finishing each other's…"

"Sentences?" Korra completed. "That's Ahna and Akna. My cousins."

"I figured they would have some relation to you since they came on your friend, here. I recognize her, Naga. I've remember when you rode her through the streets of Republic City, before your hiatus. She must have sensed that you were near, Korra. She escaped, which surprised us because she never showed any signs of a desire to escape from us. We treat her rather well and fed her just fine. But you seem more important than anything to her. Anyway, she unfortunately was found by Qu's men and captured as a leverage, so we made it our top priority to retrieve her safely. We would never seek to use your property for our own gains, and since it was our fault she got away we made sure to get her back as soon as possible. The ordeal of getting into the city was not hard at all. Tunnels run under the city that Qu has no clue exist, and we've been getting certain people out. People who can help us, because we aren't sure the rest of the people we can trust, hence our repetitive messaging. Anyway, our two spies easily snuck in, disguised themselves, caused the distraction needed to lead Naga out, and helped spread our message as well. Unfortunately one of them, a woman named Unheh, was caught in the mess of the riots that were quickly suppressed.

"We were going to go back for her, but she told us not to. Apparently Qu's men never checked her for a radio," Susumu stopped to laugh at that. "So, she radios to us not to get her yet because she has been able to navigate through Qu's makeshift prison facility that was quickly assembled in the train station building. So Unheh's been having a bit of fun just kind of pranking Qu and altering his machines and propaganda to make him look like a fool. So far she has altered the printer's to print silly mustaches on Qu's face. Anyway, we will go and retrieve her eventually. She can get around the building just fine, but escaping would be kind of hard without any help."

"Thank you," Korra said. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"Well, it wasn't all me. We aren't one person doing everything here, but for what it is worth you are welcome. There is no leader here. I am telling you all of this because I am one of the original members of this society, so I know a bit about it, but I am most certainly not the boss or anything." Susumu looked up at the night sky, then at his pocket watch. "Well, now it's late and I am just saying some nonsense things. Rambling. You all look tired as well. There is much to show you in this one place, but maybe that can wait until tomorrow. There can be something here for each of you. Some things you might be surprised to learn about the people here. And Asami, I'm betting that you would be happy to discuss the future of the automobile industry with your former employees."

Asami looked up, ecstatic. "Are they here? Now?"

"Part of the automobile department is here, but they are probably asleep now. The place is completely open to you all to stay the night. I can have one of my assistance lead you to some guest rooms to stay, and if you wish, tomorrow we can tour the place in more depth, and you can learn about our society. You can even meet our philosophical...hm, what is the best word, correspondent?" He said, looking at Korra.

"Really no where else for us to go, is there? Do we have a choice?" Lin said.

"Well I hope we have proven our peaceful nature. The choice is always yours, of course, my friend."

A short man ran out and greeted the group casually. The complied and let him lead them to a room. Susumu halted Tenzin while the others continued. "I am sorry, if I may have a word with you, sir."

"Absolutely. I'm not exactly sure what to make of all this. It is unbelievable what you are doing," Tenzin replied.

"Many people would agree and thank you, but if I may introduce you to someone before you go to sleep? You are the air nomad, Aang's son, right? I am just making sure you are the right person."

"Yes, that is me. Right person for what? Who do you want to show me?"

"Come with me."

The two walked through another maze of corridors before they were in a large laboratory, machines running loudly around them. Engineers scurrying this way and that, wearing goggles and hard hats. Yelling at each other in extreme frustration and restlessness.

"This is our water treatment plant. My friend, one of the lead designers of this department, Tyko, would love to meet you."

At a small table, a short man with long hair looked over some blue prints, block diagrams, equations, and other documentation. He looked up at the two and seemed as if he immediately recognized Tenzin.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would find us. It's very nice to meet you, sir," Tyko said. Susumu left the two.

"What are you talking about? How do you know me?" Tenzin asked.

"You must be so proud! This!" Tyko said, pointing to the machine behind him. Some kind of water filtering machine for large quantities of the liquid. "Look at this! Built so well I've never seen this kind of work from someone so young! It is truly amazing to see such a hard worker in someone as young as her. Like I said, you must be a proud father. It's truly an honor to meet the man who raised a girl with so much drive and passion for this kind of work. Water treatment is so important, soon we will have ways of dispersing clean water to all…" Tyko was getting into what he was saying. Tenzin interrupted him.

"I'm sorry, did you say "proud father"? Of whom, may I ask? I don't have any children who work here."

Tyko smiled really big, even bigger than when he was explaining water details. "Wow, you don't know! What a treat that I get to be the one that shows you. Come with me, she is still here working." He started running into a another room. Tenzin quickly followed. "I told her to go home but she just stayed, like a true engineer. Dedicated. Oh she is so dedicated to this! It's great. She is going to grow up and do great things, young Jinora will." Tyko stopped them at a balcony. Tenzin tried to understand what he was saying, tried to make sure that he had actually said the name of his lost daughter.

Over the balcony, he didn't think his eyes were showing him what was real. He thought he was only seeing what he wanted to see. A couple seconds of concentration and he concluded he was seeing the truth. One level down, a young girl, short brown hair, dirty work clothes, was surrounded by tools, measuring dimensions, screwing parts together, welding metal.

"Jinora…" Tenzin said under his breath.

"Yes!" Tyko exclaimed. "She came to us not to long ago and started working immediately. I thought you had sent her, but…"

Tenzin left Tyko mid-sentence and ran down the stairs to his daughter.

"Jinora!" He yelled.

Jinora turned around and looked at her father, only a few feet from her, stopped. He didn't know how to approach her. He hesitated, standing still, before continuing.

"Dad…" Jinora started. Tenzin looked at her. Looked at her clothes, stained with grease.

"Jinora…you are…okay?" Some part of him was still uncertain, like he wanted to make sure she was still Jinora. Still the daughter he had once known. Or if she had completely transformed into someone else. "You are here?"

_It's only been some months, but you look like you've grown so much. Changed so much._

"Dad…," she started again, the sincerity and pain audible in her voice, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I…"

Tenzin didn't have to hear anymore. In fact, he cursed himself for wanting to make sure of anything. Any uncertainty was wiped. He saw his daughter before him. The emotion building up inside him completely overtook him. The same emotion leaking out of him in the form of tears as he quickly walked up to her, compelled by his unconditional love for her, and embraced her in a tight hug. Pulling her as close as possible, to make sure she was okay. To make sure she was safe and out of any harm's way.

"I'm sorry, too," Tenzin said. "I missed you. So much."

Jinora started to cry in his arms. "I missed you too. I love you, Dad."


	52. Organization: ONI

-Organization: ONI-

Korra did not want to sleep in the room that she had been led to. A nice dormitory with a single bed and a window to District Four. A standard room. No, Korra wanted to sleep with her polar bear dog, with whom she had just been reunited.

On her way from her designated room through the hallways and to the shed near the courtyard where Naga was staying, Korra passed the room in which Asami was staying. She stopped in front of it, hesitant, unsure whether to knock and see her…well, friend, or just continue to leave her alone, ignore her, and press on with the mission.

It was true. If Korra did not tell any of her friends, her loved ones, of the rather unfortunate end that Korra would come to if she was successful in stopping Daya, the whole ordeal was just a lot easier for her to go through. Asami, Mako, Bolin…Korra couldn't bear to see their faces if she told them what would happen to her.

If I can just get this done without you guys knowing…

On top of stopping an unstoppable force, Korra didn't think she could also handle their grief. As awful as it sounded to her, there was no time for them to prepare for Korra's death. There was no point in telling them. They'd get over it afterward, and if she distanced herself away from them now, then it would be easier. If they didn't know what was going to happen, they wouldn't hold back from fighting against Daya with her. They wouldn't have second thoughts. They could overcome their grief after they were safe, after Korra was gone already, when they were in the new world.

But still. Distancing yourself from your only loved ones was not easy for anyone, which was why Korra stood indecisive in front of Asami's door, turning over in her head the choice of whether or not to tell Asami of her fate. Did she owe it to her, at least as a friend, to inform her that once this was over, Korra wouldn't come back? Did she even want to tell her, or was she here for a different reason?

_Yeah, that reason…_

Korra shook her head and started to walk away, but found great difficulty in doing so. An inner struggle. She was not even sure what led her here. Was this room even on her way? She wanted something from her. Korra knew she was in no mood or in any way prepared to tell her good friend that she was going to die. Korra just wanted comfort, a hug, to see a smile and to smile herself, and she wanted the source to be someone who could listen to her, understand her. Somehow the combination of all those wants led her to this door.

But those were not the only factors that brought her here. There was something else. The feeling she so recognized as tangible cosmic energy. The feeling she had in the car, that some source of Clasma was with them. Had followed them from Republic City like one of Graft's rats.

Korra knocked. Asami quickly answered. At the sight of each other, neither spoke as their minds tried to process the large flow of thoughts and questions as well as emotions that were dispersed throughout Asami's and Korra's bodies.

_Did something happen?_  
_You look beautiful._  
_Do you want to tell me something?_  
_It is so great just to see you again, like this._  
_Is something wrong?_  
_What is this warm feeling inside me?_  
_Do you feel okay?_  
_I only feel this way around you. When I see you, even if it has only been a minute._  
_Do you feel anything?_  
_I like this._  
_Do you feel anything for me?  
_  
_Yes…I do._

"Hi," Korra said.

"Korra," Asami said, slightly confused, the more interesting questions now popping into her head after Korra's lighthearted greeting. "Hi," Asami smiled.

"I'm just going to see Naga. It's been a while and I wanted to spend some time with her. I was just wondering how you were holding up?"

"Good," Asami said. "I'm glad you stopped by. I've been…worried about you. A little. We all have, but me particularly I think."

Korra looked sad. She knew what they were talking about. She started to look away. Asami put her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't be sad. It's not your fault. We don't have your responsibility on our shoulders. We understand that it's tough, that we won't really quite know what you have to deal with in all this. But I just want to make sure you are okay, too. I should have been the one to come and see you," Asami said.

"What do you think the world will be like if we win this?"

"Very different. We'll be pioneers for a new system. A new race of people. A new era." Asami put her hand around her forearm.

It sounded like Graft-speak to Korra for a second. A new era. A new era to create a civilization as humans, free from the helping hand of the Spirit World.

"If we are going to bring about that world," Korra said, "We'll need help. I just knew, when I heard the machines walking through the fields, that this was the answer. That these were the people that would help us. These were the people who would stand up against the Spirits, who would fight for their survival and easily dismiss the loss of bending as a real cost. The right people to run the next world. We need their help. I have to find some way to bring this all up to them, though. I'll learn a little more tomorrow about this whole organization, but somehow, I just know it is right. I just know we've found it."

"If you feel this strongly about it, Korra, then that is great to hear," Asami said. She assumed Korra speaking her mind and hearing agreement was lifting her spirits, bringing back the old Korra. Was that what Asami wanted? Something developed between her and the "old" Korra, the one who was not dealing with the human race's destruction.

Korra didn't really know what to say next. She just wanted to be close to Asami, but she had nothing else to tell her. All she wanted was that feeling generated from being close to her body. It made her feel welcome. It made her feel safe.

It made her feel at home.

_Don't get used to it_. Not only did Korra want to avoid telling her friends her fate so that she would have to deal with their grief, but additionally, she didn't want to develop second thoughts of her own. She didn't want to back away from what she had to do because of the fear of being taken away from the warmth of Asami…

_Why are you thinking this way?_, Korra thought. She suddenly noticed the way Asami was holding her left arm.

"Korra?" Asami said. "I know you've been dealing with a lot, but still, you have been acting differently. You have to remember that no matter what, no matter how hard things get for you, you always have us. You always have…me."

Korra felt her hands trembling. Butterflies in her stomach sending shockwaves through her arms. Her inner voice yelling at her, _Do you see any of this kind of love existing in this organization? Anywhere around you in this world at all?_

_No, _Korra thought back_, but why does that make it unnatural…_

She continued to eye the way Asami was holding her forearm. The butterflies in her stomach were mixed with something else. That same feeling from before, which helped draw her here. A faint feeling of Clasma. Nearby. A trace of it still existing within Asami? It was the same feeling that she had in the car, at the campsite, but it was just her and Asami here. No one else around. Korra didn't know what to do about it.

"Thank you, Asami," Korra turned and started to go. Asami looked slightly sad, and this made Korra upset as well. She didn't want to push her away. No matter what she was feeling. Korra hugged her tightly, "I mean it. Thank you for everything, Asami. I don't think I could really do any of this without you. Ever since that day you rescued me…this all started, our resistance, our fight for freedom. It's good to know…that you will always be around. I want you to know how much I care about you, and that I would never forget you, no matter what. However I may act, just know that. Please, just know that I haven't stopped caring about you."

Korra slept on the gargantuan pillow that was Naga that night. It was like the polar bear dog was never satisfied with how close it was to Korra. She was constantly nudging to get closer to her loving owner.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this, girl," Korra said quietly, drifting off into her much needed sleep. "I wish I wasn't the one doing this to her. Why must we all be the ones who have to save this world when we are the misery of the planet?"

In her ranting and questioning to the unresponsive and sleeping Naga, Korra fell into the dream-like state between awake and asleep, and began to hear the sounds and voices contained within the cosmic energy around her. She expected Solomon's face to appear in her dreams, but it did not. Instead, the radiant green eyes of Daya was all she saw. Korra's hands felt hot, a searing pain shot through her. She felt as though Daya was right next to her, holding her hand with CHAOS's fiery paws. The monster materialized around her. Korra's heart began racing, feeling for sure the monster was right outside of this shed. So sure that it would be right next to her if she was able to turn her head. She began to sweat with fear. But suddenly, the vision of Daya, of ChAOS, became blurred, and all Korra saw was a calming, green color. A powerful voice spoke, the energy from the voice moving the color that Korra saw. His voice was so close to her as if she could touch his hand. The voice so familiar, speaking with such raw power and truth:

_You are. You are all the misery of the planet. You have each experienced the darkest entities of this planet. You have each lost something dear to you to the evil of this world. You have been tasked with duties which will cost you your own life in order to preserve the life of the entire race. Yes, together, you have lived the darkest of lives, experienced the worst of horrors because of the very things which exist in this world, and yet you continue to fight. You continue to strive to save it. You would give your own life so that the world will survive. And that is why it must be you who will lead this world into the next era. You have seen it at its worst, but even the darkest of forces did not stop you from reaching for the light._

It felt like minutes, but it was hours later when Korra was awoken by the nieces of the deceased man whose voice had just spoken to her through the air.

"Korra!" they yelled in unison.

Korra jolted awake and smiled at the sight of her young cousins who she missed seeing.

"You've found us you've found us!" They said, smiling with utmost joy, no regret or sorrow detectable in their voices over the loss of their father.

"It's great to see you again. I'm glad…that I got to. I am sorry to hear about your father," Korra bit her tongue, hoping she didn't bring the painful truth to their minds.

The girls smiled, solemnly.

"Father, he told us the way things had to be, long before they happened," Ahna said. "He is free of his physical form now, at peace from his troubles," Akna finished.

The girls handled death so well. So prepared. So understanding of the tragedy that this world has to bring. No amount of darkness or evil kept them from living in the light.

"Korra," a voice said, coming through the shed. "Shall we begin our day?"

l-l

Team Avatar was led through the twisting and turning corridors and catwalks that lined the perimeters of the factories, office buildings, restaurants, meeting places…all the important kinds of locations within Misty Grove. Susumu acted as her spokesman and guide. They would meet with a representative for each place they went: a rep for the engineering, the management, the commerce, the liberal arts, the military…

"The military?" O-Ren exclaimed. They walked through several training camps for upcoming soldiers, shooting ranges with people practicing and testing out new weapons, tents where sentinels and scouts were being assigned their tasks for the day. "Where did they come from? How do you have so many?"

"Ex-United Forces soldiers," said General Hou, the representative for the military sector. "Police men as well. All who abandoned the forces when Qu took over. They no longer believed what he stood for. We have taught them to survive and fight without their bending. We accept any new citizens willing to fight for what they believe in as well, which have been a lot."

"So how many does Qu have left working for him?" Lin asked.

"Not many, although it may seem like he does. They are all just compacted in one place, that is why it is so easy to get around. Many have gone AWOL and we took them in. Most have done it because they are loyal to their generals who have abandoned Qu as well."

Korra was dying to ask. "General Iroh?"

"Oh yes," Hou said. "General Iroh was one of our earlier members. He was deeply disturbed to discover the events that Graft was conducting within the forces with Colonel Milan, now Qu. One of our best strategists and leaders, Iroh has been invaluable."

"Where is he?"

"He is with a cavalry near the ruins of Republic City guarding against any remaining threats. Come." They walked through the shooting ranges. "They are testing some new guns, enhanced with mechanisms to make the bullets stronger, faster, heated bullet for better penetration, and the gun runs more efficiently than ever before."

"Those look like the guns that Graft made. We stole a few and tried to use them but they kept breaking," Asami said.

"Ah, doesn't surprise me," Hou said as he, Susumu and Team Avatar walked into a large building and up some stairs so that they were on a catwalk above a large floor with engineers and soldiers testing weapons, vehicles, and small aircrafts, "This is our asymmetrical operations department. This is where our engineers design, test and distribute all of our weapons and army vehicles and airships to our soldiers." They walked up another flight of stairs and found themselves in a laboratory. People in white coats scurried through hallways and into rooms behind bulletproof glass. Engineers gathered around tables in these rooms and argued over design documents, surrounded by disassembled guns, tools, microscopes, other lab equipment. Designing a more powerful, efficient gun. A longer lasting tire. Fuel-efficient engine designs.

Korra looked through one of the windows and saw a woman holding up a gun which looked identical to the one Asami had used.

"Many of these folk were actually workers for Graft," Susumu said. "That may be why you recognize their weapon designs. Qu still uses them."

"Graft!?" Korra exclaimed.

"Yes, actually a misconception many have had," Hou said. "Graft rose to power and gained trust from many in the United Forces because of his new technology that he took responsibility for. Well, actually, he had a team of designers who were the ones that did all of the work. That designed his extremely powerful guns, his indestructible vehicles. Graft really had no part in it himself, he just promised them a new world, a utopia that they would be rewarded with if they complied. He was a very convincing man I will give him that. No, the only things Graft really churned out was his rendered Clasma, and we all know what happened with that. Graft really had no touch of genius that found its way into these designs, these people were the true minds, and they began to realize the immoral institution that they were working for, so they left, desperate for a new, just cause to contribute their abilities and knowledge toward. They found ONI."

"Now Qu continues to try to and improve on their designs that they left over after they all came to us," Susumu said. "Qu has his "designers" working to sustain and improve their weapons and vehicles. But all the people who actually know the theory, know the designs, actually know what they are doing are all here, with us. Qu's men don't know jack shit, so what they produce is shit as well. I've seen their products. Airships with randomly placed propellers. More engines. Poorly laid metal shield exterior. Trying to make the gun enhancement mechanisms more efficient when they open it up and realize they don't know the first thing about anything. Because we are the ones that do. Qu's men spend their lives focusing on their bending as a means of advancement and knowledge while any trace of scientific knowledge evades them completely. "

"Yes," Hou agreed. "Any smart designers have long since left him for us. Anyone that smart realizes the stupidity with which Qu runs his regime. Realizes how quickly it will go into the ground where everyone is fighting for their food and survival like an anarchistic society. Everywhere he goes he finds technology and systems that the knowledgeable people constructed. Qu has not the slightest clue how they work. Not a single mind working for him is capable of working with those complex machines. They know what a propeller is, so they think more must be better. Efficiency bypasses them. Never stop to realize that they need to develop military vehicles which can withstand the strength of their own guns, too. Our people actually know what they are doing."

"Anyone can learn, can discover the beauty behind the theory which goes into these designs," Susumu said. "Even Qu, but how can he, when everyone who can teach him is here, and he is too stubborn to admit defeat?" Susumu laughed.

The Team was led out of the military sector. Susumu spoke. "It's really our form of nonviolent warfare. Qu's society needs to go down. We have the power to bring it down, easily, but why bother? Why kill when we can easily just absorb the elements that would make his regime even the slightest bit powerful? Just take out those people who are capable and willing of advancing society, so that Qu will not have those sources necessary to survive. He is going to look one day, and see that he has nothing before him but those few who have forsaken their humanity for their bending. If you don't believe in our nonviolent ways, if you have conflict with our view of the human, then consider this fact: many of our founders, the architects of this organization, were and are still members of the White Lotus: the ancient order which sought the truth in our existence. Yes, even an order as old and as close to the essence of life as they are working for a new civilization under the philosophy of ONI."

The rest of the day included visits to various other departments and industries. Many members of the group left the tour when they came across the area of expertise which interested them. Asami split off at the factory producing private vehicles, the new Satomobiles that she had designed long ago now a tangible object. She found many of her former employees and was soon lost in a discussion about the future of the private vehicle industry, as if she had never left.

Mako split off when he met an older Water Tribe woman, Suka, who was lead designer at the city's power plant. She agreed to show him the ways in which energy was being produced and stored without the use of lightning from fire benders.

Tenzin left to find his daughter in the water treatment plant, while Lin, Bolin, Sydney, and O-Ren returned to the military and police camps, Lin returning to many of her former metal benders who had lost their bending as a hero. Susumu had planned this. He was happy to see the great minds of Team Avatar finding a place within the organization.

Susumu continued to lead the only follower he had left, Korra. Without words, they boarded a train that seemed like it was waiting for just them. Korra noticed that she was the only one who remained, but Susumu was so intent on bringing her to the next place.

"It's good to see your friends finding a niche here. It's also good to see that you are the only one left on this little tour of mine. There is someone you must meet. Only you, for I just know that you will have some effect on her. You will evoke the truth from her and perhaps we can learn what is really going on."

The train sped across a vast meadow. In the distance Korra saw District Four, and the highway that they had driven on just the day before. "Where are we going?"

"Do you remember seeing that prison yesterday? The one you must speak with is there. She has spoken of things, terrible things, but they are all so encrypted and we do not understand what they mean. However, she has called out your name, Oni, saying you were the savior. Saying that you were the one to truly set us free. I didn't know why, or what, but we named ourselves after you, for reasons that she can explain better than I could. Maybe if you spoke with her, you would be able to relay to us what she is trying to preach."

"Why is she locked up?" Korra asked. The train came to a halt.

"She is very unstable. We treat her well, but her state has caused her to lash out against our guards and citizens, though she claims she has no control."  
They walked off the train. In the building, Korra was patted down and led through a security station before gaining access as a visitor to the prison.

"Those who come here and fail to follow the rules are put in here," Susumu said as they walked through the concourse of the prison to the special cases ward.

"We don't just throw anyone in here. Those who do not believe our beliefs, we respect just the same. It is those who act on those beliefs, because really, it is not something unique to us. You follow your goals, you reach your human potential, but along the way, you make sure that what you do does not breach the rights of others. We have people here, conductors of unethical experiments, corrupt business owners, biased judiciary officials. People who have used their bending for means of extortion and to instill fear, to manipulate, to rob, to kill. These are not people who belong in any society. Any human society. We do our best to find them, for they not only halt human civilization advancement, but they bring it closer to death."

The special cases ward. Susumu led Korra to a metal door. The words 'Case 0' printed above it.

"Here is where my tour ends for you, Korra. Here is where I stop talking, and I let you see for yourself what we cannot."

The door was opened to a large room. White tiles across the walls, vibrant, blinding to look at, reflecting the light. Korra's steps echoed around the room, as if she was wearing heels with each step. The echo lasted several seconds. At the center of the room, there was a small table, and a girl with long, messy hair sat on the other side. A guard followed Korra in, but she put her hand up.

"It's okay," Korra said. "Leave us." The guard complied. The young girl looked up at the sound of Korra's voice. She could not have been older than Korra. Her green eyes burned into Korra's mind, reminding her of the very Spirit that was out there, preparing to end all life. The young girl smiled, her nearly rotten teeth visible.

"Oni."

"Hello, Animal."

Animal acquiesced and looked down. "I haven't been called that name in a while."

"You are okay, then? You found your way here, out of Republic City."

Animal slowly looked up and around. "That would appear to be true."

"How did you escape?"

"I left. I walked out of the city. I could feel something was going to happen, you see. I still carry the Clasma that Graft put into me. I don't think he had foreseen the anomaly that would be created."

"What anomaly?"

"Graft gave me the Clasma of an ancient animal. I can't quite remember what it was, you'll have to forgive me on that one." Animal picked up a cup on the table with something hot in it. She sipped it slowly. "Still hot. Hm, it's too bad you don't know water bending anymore."

"An ancient animal, you said?" Korra yelled, trying to keep her on track. She felt rushed.

"Yes, an ancient animal very attached to this earth. Very close to it. A part of the planet almost. So ancient that it could feel the state of the planet, the life within it, the disturbances forthcoming. So as a result, so can I. I felt the beast coming. Not wanting to die, I fled, with a message, to give to someone, that this planet's time has come, and only Oni can save it from its destruction. The humans could only do so much, but Oni would ultimately be the savior."

"They seemed to misinterpret that. Do they even know about CHAOS?"

"They don't understand, you are right. They think I am a messenger of their philosophy. Some kind of entity. ONI, the organization here, thinks that what I was referring to was the remnants of Graft's regime run by Qu. In their eyes, they are saving the world, and to an extent, this is true, but it is still obvious to them that something is still not right. They had trouble believing me, my pleas that they were in danger of the monster from the Spirit World."

"You can feel the monster?"

"Yes. In my dreams. They've felt so real. I could feel it coming. I could see her face, the Spirit directing this whole play. This massacre," Animal analyzed Korra's face. "You've felt it, too. I know you have, it just wouldn't seem right if you didn't."

"What if I have?"

"Then it is close, and don't take that lightly. If you can feel it, if you can see it in your dreams, Korra…it would be wise not to ignore it. It means it is near."

"Why did they lock you up here?"

"I attacked a guard and almost tore his face off," Animal said, with no uneasiness in her voice. Such smooth language like she was telling Korra nothing more interesting than what she did that morning for breakfast. "The Clasma of an animal doesn't belong in a human like myself. Instinct kicks in when I get frustrated and people don't understand what I am trying to tell them."

"What about the name? Why do they call themselves ONI?"

"Because you have redefined it."

"How?"

Animal stood and stretched her short arms. She walked to the wall which had a bright light on it. It looked like a window to the outside. "Because of what you fight for, Korra. You are the embodiment of a Spirit. You are a God incarnated. You were placed here, long ago, with the name Oni, to guide the humans and maintain the balance between human world and spirit world. But that name came with another purpose. You were the tool of the Spirits, the ambassador of the Spirit World in this world. When the time came, you would be the one to lead the human race to its end when the Spirits deemed it to be necessary. You would be the one to kill everyone. A spirit incarnated to look like a human, sent to the physical world, who would one day be the one to lead the army that would steal everyone's soul, ending all human life. A demon to the humans. A cleanser for the Spirits."

Animal continued, "You are Oni. You are this entity. But when forced to carry out your purpose, your destiny, you refused to comply. You saw the immorality in what the Spirits were making you do. You saw the value in human life. You were changed by it, integrated into the race and would fight, even die, for it. As a god incarnated, you are the only one who can stop the Spirit leading this attack on mankind. The fate of humankind is more important to you than your own purpose for them. You have stepped down from your divine throne and have joined the humans, as a human. You fight for us. Your defiance to be their Oni has led you here, to be our savior, our last savior, for once this is over, the humans can be free to continue without the intervention of the Spirits. Without the fear of its demons. Without the fear of the divine power taking their lives in one swipe. You have redefined your own purpose, and if you, the embodiment of the very thing that is now seeking to destroy us, has been changed by us, has been changed to the degree that you fight to preserve us, then you are no longer their Oni. You are no longer the demon to the humans as you were created to be. You are our cleanser. You are the demon to the Spirit, the one who will halt their mission. The one who will save humanity. A new definition of your purpose. A new definition of Oni. As the old Oni that you were created to be was to end the human existence, you seek to set them free. You seek to end the existence of the Spirits. You are our Oni." Animal turned around. Korra rose.

"The humans deserve freedom, but not at the cost of the Spirits' existence."

"Perhaps, but can they exist in our world? Is it necessary? Can it work? Should the Spirits, who posses the powers of a God, coexist in a world with humans? Or should the two be separate?"

"No, the two should be separate, but in order to do that I would have to suppress a very powerful Spirit. I cannot kill her while she hates the human race so. If there is anything I must do before I leave, I must establish the ultimate balance between the human world and the Spirit World. A separation between the two, but a balance, a peace, between them as well."

"Is there any other way to stop this without complete suppression, Korra?"

"You said it yourself. A god incarnated, created by the Spirits and sent to earth to be their destroyer if they failed, was changed simply by the values upheld by the humans. By their human potential. Their power. Their freedom. Their love." Korra's hands were trembling. Animal grabbed them. She smiled calmly as Korra became more anxious.

"It is your own path from here, Korra. You have many who will help you here, but in the end it will be you that will have to choose what to do in order to save us. Your last duty as our savior, our god, to free us once and for all from the entities which we cannot fight ourselves as humans. Because we should not have to."

Korra looked into Animal's green eyes. She was quite beautiful actually, especially her eyes. Korra wished she knew what she had looked like before she was captured by Graft. Her eyes seemed to bring Korra into a different world. She could see the Clasma, feel it, flowing through Animal. The Clasma brought Korra to an island. Populated with trees, inhabited by animals. An island, floating, moving through the seas. Alive. Swimming. A creature as big as an island, as old as the planet, within this girl.

"Korra," Animal said, smiling. "I've told you all I know. Your decisions from here forward can only be made by you. I want to ask you for something now. You can feel it. You can feel the beast within me? The one whose life experiences, whose knowledge and identity have become mine and in place of the memories I have developed throughout my former life, the ones which made me who I used to be. They have not returned, but I like to believe that I have slowly become my old self again, over the years. I've come a long way, but I will always carry the burden of this Clasma. It will always keep me from knowing who I am. I want your help, Korra. I want to remember who I was. I want to become my old self again."

"You have the knowledge of the whole planet. Its history…"

"It does not belong to me. I cannot handle it. I would rather be free of it. You know what is important. That you know it, I have no more purpose to keep it. Please, Korra. Please set me free."

The Clasma ran through her veins like irregular current through wires. The process was simple. Korra moved past the enormous beast within Animal, a powerful beast that she could not fully comprehend. Hiding, deep in the dark corners, Korra found a young, shy, beautiful girl.

Animal opened her eyes. Reborn, looking at the world for the first time, it felt. The first person she would see was before her. Korra.

"My name…" she uttered softly. Korra stood frozen, unsure what to do. Animal was no longer the confident, possessed host for the soul of an ancient animal. She was just a scared girl, but to Korra, she was brave, courageous. A girl who had seen the world's evil, yet continued to reach for the light.

"Can you tell me your name?" Korra said.

"Wu."

"It's…an honor to meet you, Wu. No matter what happens, I want you to know, I will never forget what you have done for this world."

l-l

Korra stood in Susumu's office. The air was heavy.

"So that is it, then," Susumu said.

"I've come a long way, sir. We all have. What I have told you is nothing but truth. Qu is but a pawn in all this. To completely free the human race…" Korra did not have to say anymore. Susumu understood the stakes.

"This is so…difficult to believe."

"I would not let that worry you," Korra said. "There is something we must do first. Something I will not let go undone. The first thing we have to do is free the people of Metro. All of them. As soon as possible."

"Why is that? Why all of them?"

"They are all in grave danger. Prepare to dismiss any doubts that you have, Susumu. CHAOS is coming for them."


	53. Subvert

**/*Made several edits. Spelling mostly. Truly sorry for that.*/**  
-Subvert-

Qu angrily watched the sun climb up into the sky from behind the seas of Metro. He was in his control room in the central train station, and he had just gotten news that in his most recent broadcast to his people, the sound of a girl moaning had been superimposed over Qu's voice. Those citizens who had not been arrested in the riots were confused as to why it sounded like Qu was broadcasting from a brothel because of all the sex noises.

"Dammit. It's those ONI people I know it. I only recorded that early this morning how could they have changed it?"

Qu looked from the large window to the desks with his soldiers acting as engineers operating radios and wearing headsets, unsure as to what they were doing. Similarly, the soldiers operating the transmission devices were also wondering what they were doing. They figured that turning the knobs a few times gave Qu the impression that they were familiar with the technology.

"We aren't sure, sir," one of the engineers told Qu. "Somehow they must have intercepted it as it was…transmitted to the public radios." The other engineers looked at him with surprise as to how he came up with that good excuse.

Unheh laughed in her cell. She had always had that recording with her, knowing that at some point she could slip it into some audio transmission. The desired effect was nothing less than perfect. Qu's words, when they aired over the airways about the state of the union and the consequences of the riots, lost all of their gravity because of the constant female moaning in the background of the transmission.

"Idiots," she said to herself, as she knew the "engineers" under Qu would never be able to figure out that she did it, or that it was even her in the first place.

Qu paced in the control room before going to the next floor to check on the engineers who in charge of the radars and security cameras to see if they found anything suspicious.

"Well? Any trace of 'em?"

"No sir, all three tunnels have been completely empty. The soldiers have reported nothing from the trains. Our radars indicate no foreign ships nearby."

"You sure these cameras would pick them up? You sure you know what is a foreign ship and what is not on these radars?"

_Pretty sure_, the engineer thought. Qu's radio started to buzz.

"What is it?" he yelled.

"Sir, we've had a few more strays trying to get through the walls today. We still have them contained in the camps on the outskirts of town. Should we start moving them out?"

"No, they stay there. Everyone stays within the city. That is what the walls are there for. We can't risk it. I need them to stay here."

"Sir," said one of the men operating the cameras. "We are getting a lot of activity in the sea. It looks like a large mass of ships has suddenly appeared on the radar here. See those…red dots? Or rather the smear of red dots I think."

Qu examined the screen. "They are so close together and there are too many. That can't be possible. Are you sure this thing is working?"

"No."

"Damn thing is broken then. I'll find someone to fix it."

"Sir, what are we doing about the mess in Republic City?"

"There is no mess," Qu spat. "We are handling the situation that organization unleashed on those people and blamed onto us."

"Sir, I could have sworn it was us that released the Clasma? And that video clearly showed a wrecked city…"

"It'd be wise to get your memories straight, cadet, before I have them straightened out for you."

Qu was contacted again via radio.

"Sir," a voice spoke. "The records from our curfew patrols don't make sense today."

"What does that mean?"

"We have a third of the people as last night counted."

"Everyone is supposed to be in their homes," Qu yelled. "They checked all of them?"

"Yessir. The number of people missing are going up."

"Where the hell are they going!?" The channel became noisy. Qu listened as the voice on the other end became drowned in the static. He continued pressing the transmit button. "Hello? Hello? Damn thing…"

He adjusted the frequency dialer and was about to call for an engineer to fix it when the static cleared away and a new voice spoke. A very familiar voice.

"Hello, Chief Qu. Master in Command. Or Colonel Milan, as you were once known. Your radio is not broken, as you might think. And in any case, your so-called 'engineers' would not be able to do anything about it anyway."

"Who are you?" Qu said viciously, his mouth extremely close to the microphone.

"At this point, that doesn't matter. Up until now we have done nothing more than toy with you and your silly regime. We have convinced the masses of the immorality and foolishness with which you run your government. They have used their brains and realized that staying with you will lead them to death while joining us will lead them to a new life. The last of your slaves which you call followers are locked in this city. Your system has survived because we have allowed it to, but today this ends. Today we take the last of your supporters, without which you have nothing, and your state will inevitably collapse onto itself. There is no point in stopping us. Our operation is already underway. We are already in the process of moving your citizens out and to safety," the man kept talking. Qu rushed to the cameras of the city. He saw no movement in the streets or buildings. He saw no signs of exile. How could this be true?

"You speak lies," Qu yelled.

"I have not contacted you to convince you of anything. I am merely stating the end of your rule over anyone. If your soldiers have any common sense, they will leave you as well. For you see, you are all in grave danger. The city of Metro will soon be leveled the same way that Republic City was."

"By you!" Qu accused.

"Believe in your own lies, Qu. Leave if you wish to live. Aid us if you desire to see your people survive. Otherwise, stay out of our way, and await the slaughter by the beast that will destroy your city with a single swipe of its fist."

Qu smiled, thinking he had the organization figured out as he looked at the screens. The radars depicting the sea. "I see your navy, my good sir. On our seas right now. They are on our own radar."

"I trust that you know how to read that radar. We have not a single ship on your seas."

Qu was stubbornly skeptical, but his soldiers began to develop a fear that what the man on the radio was saying was true.

"We are currently leading your people out of the city. You have no chance at stopping us. Aid us, or stay out of our way. The choice is yours, but if you wish to survive at all, I would suggest you follow suit, and leave immediately."

The static returned. "It's impossible," he squeezed the radio and metal bent the inner pieces of silicone so that the device shattered.

"Sir!" the soldiers watching the radar yelled. "The red on the ocean. It's coming closer to us."

"Their army is moving." One of the other engineers looked at the screen.

"Sir, I think these readings are generated using infrared."

"So?"

"So…this red isn't a ship on the ocean, or a whole mass of ships. I think it measures sources of heat…and this is just a smear of red, extremely red. The levels reach the maximum, no ship can reach that value. And the smear moves at once. I think we are looking at one…big thing. Not a bunch of smaller things"

"It's bullshit. That big thing spans the entire city almost. They've fooled us before they won't do it this time." Qu started to walk toward the temporary holding cells. "Besides, we have something they need. One of their own. They most certainly wouldn't leave one of their own behind."

Qu stepped down into the hallway which led to the cells. The lights were shut off. He began to talking to the prisoners. "You probably all think that someone is coming to save you. You are all probably aware of the plan that ONI has come up with to fool me into thinking we are all in danger of some spiritual monster. But you all, you are the key to getting them to confess their crimes, for they certainly would not continue their mission if it meant your life!" He flicked the switch that controlled the lights of the holding cells. Every single one was empty, the cell doors opened and creaking as they swiveled back and forth with the air. Qu began to shake with rage. The slight noise behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see Unheh, the former prisoner, and a girl with a hood veiling her face.

Without words, Qu bent his coiled metal wires to try and subdue the two fugitives. The hooded girl drew a long blade, sliced the end of one of the wires and wrapped the other around her sword, taking control of it. Unheh pulled out a small device with a clamp on it. She attached the device to the metal wires, pressed a button and the two ran off as the small pod discharged a wave of static electricity which traveled up Qu's wires and electrocuted him. Qu fell to the ground, slightly unconscious as the two girls escaped.

Korra removed her hood and let Unheh lead them out the way that the other prisoners had escaped. Unfortunately, Qu had contacted his guards, and one of them blocked the exit to the buildings. Unheh instinctively jumped right and ran down another hallway. Korra followed. The guards chased them down and soon the girls found themselves in a room filled with soldiers watching cameras and radars. Two large windows on the opposite side of the room showed the ocean. The soldiers reacted at the sight of the two girls. They prepared their metal wires to suppress them. The guard chasing the girls ran into the room, but Korra apprehended him and put her sword to his neck. Taking him hostage. Unheh pulled out one ONI's super pistols and aimed it at the doorway, ensuring no more soldiers would interrupt them.

Qu's men hesitated to attack with fear of hurting their own man. Korra made eye contact with each of them, silently sending the message containing the seriousness with which she was operating.

"You all have a choice at this juncture," Korra said. "If you attempt to kill us, then we will presume that you have given up your humanity, and we will have no  
hesitation to kill you."

The men felt the threat from Korra's eyes more than from her words. Korra kept making eye contact with each of them. Cycling through. Unheh began to walk out of the room. Before Korra released her hostage, she saw through the large windows. The sea beyond the city was slowly rising. Like a tsunami, only instead of flowing toward the town, it flowed upwards. Something enormous rising out of the water, sending tital wave ripples toward the banks of the city in the process. The rising sun was eclipsed by the wave forming in the ocean.

Korra, filled with fear and an urge to run, pushed the guard away and the two ran for the nearest exit.

"No time for the normal way, Unheh." The two escaped through a window and landed on a ledge on the station tower. They could suddenly see the length of the wave just beyond the docks of the city. The stationary crest.

"What is that?" Unheh asked in disbelief.

"CHOAS," Korra whispered.

The water continued to ascend upwards as the beast rose from the ocean. Its presence blackened the sky above it. Its skin burned with the intensity of a sun, and its green eyes beamed through the falling waters. Daya's eyes. They struck Korra's insides and turned them.

Korra pulled out her radio and tried to contact General Hou. "Sir, this is Korra. We need those walls taken down immediately."

The two looked down to see civilians rushing through the streets, screaming, scared, running for the walls to get away from the sea monster. Police officers were pushed aside as they did not know how to respond to this threat.

"There won't be enough time to squeeze all these people out through the underground tunnels," Korra continued. "They'll need to escape now. CHAOS has come for us."

Qu attempted to stand where he had been electrocuted. He held on to the cell bars as he made his way back to the control room.

"I hope that you all apprehended those damn two…" Qu walked into his control room to find it empty. All of his soldiers abandoned him. Not a single person left in the station but him. "Scared you that much did they? Now I know the boys from the men, heh." Qu walked to the windows and saw CHAOS rising from the ocean, the water being bent by the monster, revolving around it as a shield for the guns being fired at it by Qu's men on the shores.

"You won't fool me. I am not going to go down easily like that." Qu ascended to the top of the building, to his office, where, in a large chest in the back of his closet, the remaining vials of Graft's Clasma were stored. "Now we'll see the true power of bending, the true power of a god."

Outside, the citizens of Metro fled with fear, running for the metal walls which kept them from freedom. They clawed at them, unable to bypass them or do any damage. The sentinels patrolling, uncertain whether to open them, receiving no signal from Qu.

From high up, Korra and Unheh watched the massacre, ready to descend and help. Below them, a few guards began to harass and beat some civilians trying to escape. Unheh blasted them in the kneecaps with her pistol.

"I'm going to help them. Come on." Unheh leaped off and made her way to ground level. Many members of ONI appeared from the depths of the secret train tunnels below, helping to direct people out of the city toward the sections of the walls with holes in them, as well as fend off any assaults from guards.

Korra prepared to join Unheh when a familiar feeling overcame her. The feeling of great power concentrated in one person. The feeling that she had been spotted by those treacherous, green eyes.

The monster reached the shores of the city. The buildings dissolved as it passed over them. Vaporized in the intense energy leaking from the beast. It slapped its paw onto the surface, and the earthquake nearly sent the buildings around it tumbling down. Just below the head of CHAOS, the man in the white overcoat stood, protected from the beast's energy in his chamber, staring at Korra with eyes of hate. His hands glowed green. Korra shrieked and jumped from the ledge just as an energy beam blasted the very spot at which she was just standing. Vaporizing it completely. She landed on a smaller building below and didn't think, didn't hesitate, just ran as fast as she could. She knew Solomon had just leaped from the monster and was trying to follow her.

Korra whistled loudly and leaped forward as Solomon directed another energy blast at her. The shot dissolved the roof of the building she was running across. Before it was completely gone, she jumped over the edge. in her landing, Korra slipped and fell on her back. Solomon was soon upon her. Before Korra could back away he sent one of his vine-like energy beams into her chest, holding her in place.

"Impressive, Avatar Korra. I don't know how you are able to be here, but you've fooled even me with your fake death, a death that I was supposed to bring to you. No matter, now I will make sure there will be nothing left of you."

In Solomon's hubris due to his triumph over Korra, he failed to sense the great white beast charging at him from behind. As his prepared his energy blast to kill Korra, Naga sunk her teeth into Solomon's leg and sent him flying backwards into the street. She then picked up Korra, who was instantly on her friend's back.

"Thanks girl, let's get out of here."

More people continued to run for the metal walls as their town slowly disintegrated into the skin of the beast coming their way. Korra rode Naga up to a ledge of a dismantled building which acted as a good vantage point for the scene. Her radio began vibrating.

"Avatar Korra," General Hou said, "our devices worked. Our explosives were a huge success. Many of the walls have been taken down. We have vehicles taking people out now." Korra scanned the length of the walls and noticed on the southern side of the city, many of the walls had holes in them, very small cracks big enough for a car, maybe a truck. "I'll send Asami your way with more explosives for the northern side."

Korra looked behind her. "There is no time, the monster will wipe us out before she gets here for sure. We only have a matter of minutes to get these people out."

"How many are there where you are?" General Hou asked.

"Quite a lot," Korra watched the scene. Hundreds of civilians packed before the walls. Families with children. Few police members attempted to subdue the parents trying to get their families to safety per Qu's orders. Korra saw these parents hold nothing back and fight against the guards to defend their children. Several helicopters belonging to ONI descended from the skies but could only hold a few people. These same parents, fighting to defend their families, chose not to save themselves but gave up their children to the soldiers in the helicopters to be saved instead. People who were fighting for another, willing to die for the ones they cared for and loved unconditionally.

"The tunnels are filled with people, Korra," Hou yelled. "There is no way to get them all out."

"I'll do it," a voice said over the radio, which Korra recognized as O-Ren.

"O-Ren…" Before Korra could say anything, O-Ren materialized out of the masses and was in front of the wall. "O-Ren wait."

"There is no time to wait, Korra. These people need to get to safety now." O-Ren placed his hands on the walls. Everyone stood back as he bent the metal, slowly, crumpling it up, making small tears in the structure. The metal blockade gradually ripping apart, but not fast enough. O-Ren increased his strength, but knew that soon he would not be able to do anything at all for these people.

_If it means at least one person can get out_…

The pain began to build in his arms. The feeling like shards of glass flowing through his veins as his Chi began to boil. He fought through the pain, trying to find his strength and tear the wall down. His skin on his arms began tearing apart as well. Burning up from the boiling Chi within him. His thoughts becoming fuzzy. His memories blending together. He told himself to ignore it. To put it out of his mind. But soon the pain would be too overwhelming. His eyes lost focus, he became nauseous, he couldn't look straight and his strength was diminishing.

Suddenly, the wall was coming down much faster. The metal split apart with such ease to O-Ren. He was confused, until he looked around and saw the metal benders, Qu's soldiers, helping him bring the wall down. Finally helping the citizens to escape. His knees wobbled and he fell to the ground, but the wall was torn apart, and the people were able to escape through it.

Korra witnessed O-Ren and another soldier fall to the ground during the ordeal. She raced toward them, the only two left after all the civilians had escaped.

"They are out. Flee, Hou. Get out now," She yelled. Korra, on Naga's back, sped down the street, CHAOS on her tail, sending blasts of energy and debris everywhere. Naga zig-zagged to dodge it. Korra saw the two before her, O-Ren, and Rong, the soldier whose life was almost lost after attacking their Team on the highway. Korra flew past them, picking them off the ground and placing them onto Naga's back. CHAOS took what was left of the city and lifted off the ground, flying into the air, into the sky.

Korra continued to ride Naga out of the city. She raced through the brush of the woods, and although midday, the darkness of CHAOS made the woods extremely dark. Korra swiped sticks and branches out of her face and repeatedly looked back to make sure both Rong and O-Ren were still with her. They were nearly unconscious, barely breathing. She headed for Misty Grove.

"Hold on, you two."

When she came to a clearing in the brush, Korra looked up and saw that the monster had ascended above the clouds. CHAOS's trail was easy to follow. The blackened sky constructed a path right to the beast. Elsewhere the sky remained blue and unchanged. The path of the monster indicated that it was moving extremely fast, toward the secret city run by ONI. Toward Misty Grove. Korra brought Naga to a stop on the edge of the woods.

"Oh no," she shrieked. "It's heading right for them."

She quickly pulled her radio out and fumbled with it, trying to get Hou or Susumu or Asami on the line, when the darkness around her was suddenly and quickly illuminated. Behind her, like a bullet fired from the direction of where Metro once stood, a bright orange flame was coming right at them. At the forefront of this giant flame that was consuming every tree that it passed, a demented Qu emitted the fire from his fist, propelling himself with the thrust of his own newly acquired and mastered fire bending. His eyes glowed green, as did his skin. The sight of the fire scared Naga, who threw Korra, O-Ren and Rong off of her back.

Qu put his brakes on and brought a wall of fire down on the four. Korra grabbed her two injured soldiers and jumped out of the way, opposite the direction in which Naga fled. Korra looked over the fire to see Naga, standing still, watching her loving owner, but frightened by the flames.

"Now!" Qu yelled, but it was no longer only his voice. Many were superimposed with his. He was no longer a single person, now he had the powers, the memories, the identities, of many. "Now you will see the true power of my regime. The true power that I have, that I will use to lead the people of this world as their god! Feel my god-like power!" He raised the earth around Korra's feet, causing her to fall to her hands. He compacted the earth around her hands, trapping her. Qu charged a lightning bolt with his two hands.

Korra looked up at his inhuman eyes, helpless, unable to move, cemented to the earth, she saw death in those eyes, her death. He extended his arm, allowing the charged lighting bolt to be discharged from his body, the bolt zigzagging across its trajectory toward Korra, who had no way of stopping it.

_The end…this is the end…_

A great force suddenly rammed into Korra's side, forcing her from her earth bondage to the ground, throwing her off the path of the lightning bolt. Naga, Korra's lifelong, loving, best friend, had bravely jumped through the fires to push her out of death's way..

…_Naga!_ Korra thought with extreme gratefulness, but in that same instant, she realized what it had meant for Naga to do what she did.

The lightning bolt continued through the air, and where Korra had been trapped, Naga now stood. The bolt passed through the polar bear dog's chest, and from her body it was discharged in all directions. A lightning storm in the woods, in the small area around the polar bear dog. Korra looked in horror as she saw her best friend fall to the ground. No more breathing. No more life.

O-Ren watched as Korra's most dearest was killed by the sadistic Colonel Milan. Korra couldn't move. Her brain refused to process any thought, issue any command to her body. Just like the death of Naga, something within Korra died as well.

Qu did not think twice. He redirected his aim for Korra, but before he could charge another bolt, he screamed in agony as the metal of his armor around his sleeve was slowly being bent inward. Into his own flesh, drawing blood from his wrist.

O-Ren, with the little consciousness he had left, was bending the Colonel's armor into him.

"Agh! What are you doing to me!"

The Colonel dropped to his knees, trying to remove the armor from his arms but realizing that since the metal was pierced into his flesh, he would risk an enormous gash in his arms, possibly killing him.

"Korra! Korra!" O-Ren yelled, but it was initially a faint mumble to her as she stared at her friend, now a lifeless vessel lying dead before her. Her friend who fought through her fears and gave her own life so that Korra could live.

"Korra!"

Korra looked up to see the Qu on the ground, suffering from the pain O-Ren was bringing him. She rose and approached him.

"Son," Qu pleaded, "Son please, why would you do this to your own father?"

It was Qu's last ditch effort, and it was able to hold O-Ren back, in his confusion he stopped, but Korra was already upon Qu. Korra placed her hand on his face and pushed it to the ground. He continued his grunts of pain as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

She wanted to kill him. But now that she saw him, in pain, hopeless, she no longer felt that it was worth it.

"Getting revenge on you would mean nothing to me. You don't even know what you have taken from me. You have not the slightest idea of what love is, so you feel nothing when you take that from others. It is sad. Sad that you have even given up your own identity to overpower others. Your own humanity. You have nothing left. You have spent your life relying on your bending, on this power, the Clasma, all of it. You've surrendered your own self to it. There will be nothing left of you anyway…What I do to you now, you have already done to yourself."

Korra placed her fingers over his forehead and the process was done. Qu no longer looked around. No longer grunted. No longer breathed. The draining had killed him. A man who gives his life for that kind of power, has nothing left, no identity, no life, no soul of his own, when that power is gone.

O-Ren reached for his radio. Asami answered promptly.

"We've escaped…" O-Ren said. He watched Korra return to her lost loved one. Tears silently streamed down her face as she put her head against her deceased friend. She made no sound. Silent in her intense, deep sadness.

"O-Ren, we can't reach ONI. We don't know what has happened. We think it might have been CHAOS…"

"What about Lin and Tenzin."

"I think they got out, but we can't reach them either. What could have happened to them?"

O-Ren didn't answer. His heavy breathing warned Asami.

"O-Ren, is everything okay?"

"We've lost someone, Asami."

Korra rested her head against the empty void, the lifeless vessel that was once Naga. Hoping she would stand, growl, lick her face. Something. Anything. Korra would give anything to see that happen. But as much as she could dream, she knew it was final. Absolute. Naga's soul had returned to the Spirit World.  
Korra couldn't control the tears coming down her face. A hole formed within her, sucking away any emotion, intensifying every memory of Naga that Korra had. She was transported to different parts of her life, growing up in the Southern Water Tribe. The difficult life of the Avatar. The endless training with the older masters, the lack of a normal life with friends. She remembered when Tonraq and Senna introduced her to the little white pup only a few weeks after the polar bear dog was born. Korra was not more than five.

_Naga_

No friendship developed faster than theirs did. They grew together. Felt confused together, scared together. Happy. Sad. Complete. The white creature which filled Korra with a special warmth. A feeling of truly being home. She was the only friend Korra had had growing up. Alone in the South Pole. Naga never left her side. Naga never judged her as the Avatar, as a bender. Naga only saw Korra, and she was one of the few that ever did. One of the few that never abandoned her, that never would let a single thing come between their love for each other.

Korra was lost in this memory that she did not realize who had come. Asami, Mako, Bolin, Sydney. O-Ren stood to join them, carrying the unconscious Rong. The only others in her life who could fully understand her pain. Bolin prepared to make a burial ground in the clearing.

"No," Korra said.

"I just thought she deserved a proper burial," Bolin said, sincerely.

Korra saw a nearby military station, abandoned. "She does. I will do it myself. I was her owner, but she may as well have been mine. She gave her life for me. I owe this to her. I will not bury her with bending. I will do it myself by hand. As a human would."

Korra retrieved a shovel from the military station and started to dig.

"Korra," Asami said, "let us help, you'll be out here all night. We all loved Naga, too."

"Not like I did!" Korra yelled. She dug faster. After a few hours, the hole was nearly deep enough for Naga. Korra put her hands against her friends lifeless body in an attempt to push her into the hole, but with every attempt Korra couldn't bear to do it herself. She lost her strength. It was too much for her. She broke down, crying, but her Team was there for her. Asami caught her in her arms, and Korra let her grief out, sobbing over the loss of her friend, releasing every emotion built up within her.

Together, the team sadly laid Naga's body to rest in the hole. Until nightfall, they filled the hole back up, manually, and atop the grave, a small stone was placed with an engraving:

Naga. Hero. Martyr. Best Friend.

**/*Allusoin to Harry Potter yis*/**


	54. Relics

**/*Edit: just a small think O-Ren says about the radio. Forgot it earlier*\**

-Relics-

_Korra picked at her sea prunes. Her mother was sweeping the house and eying her, confused.  
_  
_"Korra, you aren't eating your dinner, are you feelings okay?" Senna asked.  
_  
_"This is dinner?!" Korra exclaimed. She looked hopelessly at her plate, sadly realizing that this was as good as the meal was going to get that night. She pinched her nose shut and ate the remaining sea prunes on her plate so that she would not be hungry later.  
_  
_"I don't understand why you don't like these, Korra. They are so popular in the village. Maybe you'll grow into it…"  
_  
_Korra finished her plate and immediately fell onto her back on the ground. In her winter coat, she took the hood and pulled it up over the top half of her face. She let her tongue hang out of her mouth and made a groaning sound.  
_  
_"What are you doing?" Senna asked.  
_  
_"I'm dying, mommy. Agh, the sea prunes agh…"  
_  
_Senna wasn't fazed by Korra's act. "They are good for you, Korra. No one has ever died eating sea prunes." Korra moaned louder, pretending to be sick from the healthy food any four year old would dislike. The door flew open and Tonraq walked in.  
_  
_"Who's dying in this house?" he asked.  
_  
_"Korra. She had sea prunes today. She is in terrible pain because of the awful food. But she ate it all…" Senna said, going along with Korra's game.  
_  
_"Oh daddy, I can't make it, ohh the pain," Korra continued.  
_  
_"Well that is too bad, Korra. We could all have higher quality, MEATIER food around here if some little devil wasn't sneaking it out and eating it," he said, looking right at Korra.  
_  
_"I haven't been eating the meat."  
_  
_"Oh really? I've been wondering why our supply of meat has been decreasing at a faster rate than we have been consuming it. Then just yesterday and today, after more went missing, I found this not far from here," Tonraq held up a bone, chewed up, once containing meat. "Looks like you wanted to eat the bone too, Korra."  
_  
_"That wasn't me, dad I swear!"  
_  
_Tonraq dropped his hand, defeated, hoping his daughter would just confess and he could find the reason why their food has been decreasing. "Well, that didn't work." He looked at Senna. "Has someone been breaking in or something?"  
_  
_"No, it was the spirit!" Korra said. "It comes every night and begs for food while you are asleep. I can hear her, though. I've been giving her food!" Korra said with a big smile.  
_  
_"So it was you that's been taking all the food," Tonraq said.  
_  
_"But I haven't been the one eating it! That was Naga."  
_  
_"Naga?"  
_  
_"That's what I've named her."  
_  
_Tonraq didn't like what he heard. It was never a comforting thing for parents to hear that their child was being visited by a hungry Spirit. He looked at Senna and decided to wait out that night for the Spirit to appear, and hopefully fend it off so that they could live in peace…  
_  
Korra had dozed off. She blinked a few times and tried to remember where she was. She leaned against a rock at the top of a hill. Alone. The moon lit up the scene before her: the change in landscape from the wooded hills to the rocky plateaus. The rocky surface would soon turn to sand if they pressed on, and then they would be at the Si Wong Desert. _What awaited them there? What hope was there anymore?_

The team had left the burial ground of Naga hours earlier. Korra mourned the loss of her friend, but she knew she had to continue. It was a tough realization. That the world could not wait for her to get through her grief. She wanted at least one night. It was unusually comforting to know that soon Korra would be with her best friend again, whether she succeeded or not.

Asami drove across the abandoned dirt roads of the Earth Kingdom in one of the new Satomobiles from Misty Grove. She had driven it out of Metro along with Mako, Bolin and Sydney when CHAOS was sweeping it up. The team was jammed in the car together since they had the ill Rong with them.

"Why can't we just leave him like we did last time?" Asami asked.

"No," O-Ren said. "He's actually sick. I can't just leave him…no one will come looking for him. And who knows if he will awake from this coma, he could just die out there alone. He used his remaining strength to help us."

"How are you feeling?" Mako asked O-Ren.

"Good enough to walk," he replied. He tried to fiddle with the police transmitter invented by ONI.

"Still no signal?" Bolin asked.

"I got nothing. I wonder what happened to them. Just static. This light on the side of the radio has been blinking for a while now, though," he pointed to a red light flickering quickly. Bolin did not know either what the light meant. "I remember the last I saw Lin she led some of the refugees out of the city underground. Don't know about Tenzin. You think that monster actually got to them? It could be the airwaves are all screwed because the energy that big guy puts out…" O-Ren looked over to Bolin. "What happened to you?" O-Ren asked, directing the question at Bolin who was holding his arm tightly. Sydney was applying and reapplying several bandages.

"CHAOS uplifted cars and houses in Metro," Sydney explained. "This huge wave of debris came for a group of citizens but Bolin held it off with his earth bending…"  
Bolin looked sadly at Mako who was sitting in the front seat. "A police officer snuck up on Bolin and tried to kill him," Sydney continued. "Catching a 'terrorist' was more important to that man than the safety of his own people. His metal bending did this to Bolin's arm." Underneath the bandages was a deep gash in Bolin's arm as the officer had bent several scraps of metal toward Bolin.

"I would have been dead if it wasn't for Mako," Bolin said. Mako's hands started to tremble slightly. He didn't respond, just looked out the window at the passing trees. Korra listened intently, although she did not speak. She inferred that Mako was upset about what had happened to Bolin, perhaps with himself. It was hard enough losing her best friend, but losing a family member, she could not imagine how that would feel right now…

The moon was full in the cloudless sky. The Team had come to a large pond. The body of water seemed to mark the end of the forest environment and the beginning of the desert region. The diverse Earth Kingdom. The pond glowed as it reflected the moonlight in a very peculiar way. As if it was perfectly placed in that spot to reflect the light of the moon onto the trees around it, making them appear like crystals, glistening in the dark, sparkling with a strange blue color that they did not emit in normal lighting. Asami stopped the car, sensing the desire of the Team to find a place to rest after the long day. The Team looked in awe as the moonlight seemed to uncover a hidden, more beautiful world around them.

"Wow. It's so… pretty out here," Sydney said solemnly, realizing at the same time the end that was coming for this wonderful place.

Mako and Asami marveled in the way the water looked in the light. "I can see myself perfectly in it. So calm. Like looking at ice," Asami said. Mako stared hard at his own reflection. Asami gently touched the water. Her reflection became distorted, but the ripples that her fingers sent off sparkled as they traversed outward. Like blades of light traveling before her.

"This is incredible."

Korra looked beyond the lake. A small hill rested on the exact boundary of the two regions: forest and desert. Atop the hill, she could see a shadow of some small structure in the moonlight. As if someone had rudimentarily made a fortress on the summit out of rocks. She looked around at her friends reveling in the beauty of their current environment.

"This place is special," she said to herself, looking down at the ground she was standing on, blue in the moonlight. "I know it."

"Is this water magic or something?" O-Ren said, taking some in his hands and splashing it on Rong's face. Nothing happened. "C'mon you pig, wake up."

Korra suddenly found it hard to find her own voice after being quiet and distant for a few hours. "Everyone," Korra said. Everyone stopped and looked her way, surprised, anxious to hear what she had to say. "I truly thank you for all that you have done. Not even just the events that happened today, but for everything. I think I am going to be okay…I just need some time. Just a little. To think…" _to think about what I'm going to do next_.

Korra started to walk toward the aforementioned hill. She was drawn to it. She felt that she could figure out the path forward there. Perhaps even see it before her. Soon CHAOS would reach the Memorial in the desert. She could feel it. Feel the immense power of the beast, the gigantic body, like a cat or a lion, slowly trekking through the desert. Burning with a heat more intense. Its human face with its green eyes staring straight as it walked through the sands, directed by the ambassador Solomon. Following him. His orders. Making its way to the Memorial. Making its way to its army.

The SPORE.

_What will happen tomorrow? Where will we be? What will become of the human race?  
_  
The Team watched Korra go. They needed her, but they understood her wish to be alone. At least for a little while, they would comply. Many burned with questions, and she was looked to as the leader.

Sydney sat with Bolin. She brought him some water and herbs to treat his wounds. "I hope these are the right ones," she said. "I guess it can't be too dangerous."  
Bolin slightly cringed at the contact of the water and his wound. The bandages were removed to reveal the gash in his arm. "I have a hard time believing any of these plants would be dangerous in a place like this. Agh, hm, maybe I shouldn't have helped move that gigantic polar bear dog, probably didn't help this wound much," Bolin said, trying as hard as possible to be his old self. Dealing with sadness through humor. Sydney smiled, understanding his attempt to ease the tension. She kissed him on the forehead. Bolin blushed and smiled.

"I thought you were really brave today, Bolin," she said while she tended to his arm.

"Thanks…I thought you were, too."

"I hope I helped at least a little."

"Of course you did! You helped thousands of people escape their deaths. I'd say you have a very calming demeanor that sort of eased the sense of panic in those refugees. They tended to you because of that. That…and the fact that you were able to stop that tital wave that overflowed the banks from drowning and killing all of us. That was pretty important, too."

Sydney did not look very pleased. Her smile sunk slightly as she continued tending to Bolin.

"Hey, do you think the water would be good for healing? You know how to heal using waterbending right?" Bolin asked.

Sydney sullenly looked at the water. "I thought the herbs were doing a pretty good job," she said quietly. She didn't want to heal him with water. Not that she didn't want Bolin to get better, she just wanted to do it herself. "Bolin, I've been thinking about things lately."

"Like what?"

"Well, I've been getting…scared. We came here to find something to help us. And we did. Korra told us we had found the answer, but I don't know what is happening now. I don't know where we are going or what's really happening. If what she said was true, we might all be dead soon, you know?"

Bolin did not argue with her about having hope. His was dwindling as well. He would trust and follow Korra. He would continue to fight against the forces bringing the human race to the end. But he was also being realistic, and that meant that the odds were stacking against them with every minute, especially now that ONI seemed out of the mix.

"I'm really glad I could spend this time with you Bolin, out of everyone else in the world." Bolin looked at her, slightly surprised in the direction she had taken the conversation. "I am so glad that I met you that day. It's brought me so far from everything I know but when I think about it I don't really know who I am. I've discovered a new side of myself because of you, but I'm not sure how I was before. If this is going to be our last moments alive, I want my whole being to be with you. I want my past and my present here. I don't want to be the girl that can bend water. That isn't who I am, and that isn't what I want to be loved for. I want to feel, and I want those feelings to be driven by everything I've been through. I want to be with you as I really am."

Sydney rested her head on Bolin's lap and stared at the water. He ran his hands through her hair. "I will. I don't see you as you are because of your bending, Sydney. You've taught me things. You've taught me the importance of life, a concept that even a Spirit, comprised of raw power, can't even understand. I don't think bending characterizes anyone. I don't admire you because you have this ability. I admire you because you are here, willing to fight for something important. Willing to preserve the things that you cherish because you believe they are good…"

Sydney smiled and snuggled into Bolin's chest. "I just want to be myself again," she whispered to herself.

Mako, a short distance from the two lovebirds, stood at the edge of the pond. He had snagged a pack of cigarettes from the city that day and was smoking one, disgusted with his reflection of himself doing the act.

"Thought you didn't smoke?" O-Ren said. He walked up to Mako and dropped the unconscious Rong off of his back and breathed heavily.

"You just going to carry him around with you everywhere?" Mako asked, looking at Rong.

"In case he does something. I want to be there. I know what he is going through, and it looks serious. He needs someone who knows this pain."

"What would you do if he woke up?"

"That's good question. What are you doing here all alone and sulky?"

"It was a rough day."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Nothing worse than seeing an innocent polar bear dog getting struck by lightning. That is pretty rough. Korra, though, she is something else, man. A pretty amazing person. She told me how grateful she was. She saved my life probably countless times before today, and yet she has the humility to express her thanks to me."

"What did you do?"

"Not much. I should have acted sooner…but I helped her take down Qu, Milan, Naga's assassin, whatever. Just the thought of seeing that man killing Korra's friend again makes me sick. I've seen death before, but that was just scary. He had no inhibition. He had descended into madness. Become a complete monster." O-Ren got the feeling that what he was saying made Mako feel worse. He was looking away. "What is it? What happened to you today?"

"Something that is making me feel sick as well. But not for the same reasons. I've never…felt the way I did today. And I am scared that what I was is no better than Qu. I couldn't hold myself back. I saw Bolin, keeping the civilians safe from the destruction of the city. Asami and I were directing people out, but I saw him, that damn cop, pushing through the crowd to get to my brother who was keeping everyone safe. Like a rat he tries to subdue him while Bolin is distracted, and he gave him that gash in his arm. He was on Clasma, I knew it, he was earth bending and fire bending. He had gotten a hold of it somehow. All I could see was what I witnessed about ten years ago. A madman taking advantage of my family. The only family I have left is Bolin. I lost control. I couldn't bear to see history repeating itself. I couldn't bear to hesitate and risk my brother being killed. I thought it would happen at any second if I didn't do something, so I did." Mako looked at his hands. "Before the man could do anything else, even think, I was there, and I killed him. I knew I had to stop him, I wouldn't ever just stand by for fear of hurting him. But at the same time, I could have just taken him down, knocked him out, pushed him away so Bolin could escape, but I unleashed something else. A rage. Like it was this same man, to me, that killed my parents or something. No part of me wanted him alive. It seems so strange. The concept of ending a man's life to preserve another's makes sense if that man is trying to murder the other...Well, to someone who has never killed it does. But after seeing that man fall to the ground, after my extended outburst and prolonged beating and watching him desperately hold on to the small thread of life he had left, knowing that it was just going to escape his grasp…it's horrifying. No matter who the person is, it affects you. I felt wrong. I felt I was taking something I had no right to. That no one has a right to. I've seen death, too, but I've never killed, never like that."

"I'm sorry," O-Ren said, sincerely, in a manner that Mako was not used to hearing. "Bringing someone to their death, no matter how much they deserve it or have asked for it, is never easy, especially for someone like you."

"What do you mean like me?"

"Well, you value life. You value those you love but even realize that those you hate have value, too. In the end, though, that man gave up his humanity. He had forsaken his own human rights, and he did it to bring harm to another. It only seems right that someone who has forsaken their own being has already chosen death does it not?"

"I don't know," Mako said. He looked up at the hill in the distance. He saw the small blur of Korra walking up to its summit. "But now I see why it's so difficult for Korra, and why it was so difficult for Aang, as well. This isn't an easy thing to live with, and in the process of killing to save another…you can overlook the consequences it will have. On the world. On your friends. Or on yourself..."

Korra climbed up the rocks to the top of the hill. The layout of the rocks on the summit were organized strangely as if a human had put them there like that on purpose. Engravings on the rocks. Symbols Korra didn't understand. There was a crevice in the structure, big enough for several people. Like a short corridor that Korra could walk through to the precipice of a cliff atop the hill. Before her were the beginnings of the desert regions, lit up by the radiant moon.

_Maybe we can just go to the moon…would we be safe there?_

Korra felt a strong force emanating from the rocky walls within the crevice. She leaned against them, trying to understand the voices contained within them. Voices trapped inside. Voices of a race long lost. But there were too many speaking at once for her to understand. Crying out. A feeling of exhaustion, tiredness, deterioration. Not Korra's own pain, but theirs. It was like thousands of hands were reaching out of the walls of this place, trying to get her attention. The souls of the dead, working to keep the Spirit World connected to the physical world. Working to keep Korra put together.

The realization came to her. This was a Spiritual Place. Daya, in her reconstruction efforts of the planet, was unable to recreate this place. Unable to get rid of this hill. The souls of the dead protect it. Protect the pond, the mountain, for all future races that the Spirits create.

_A piece of the old world…has survived…_

If Korra failed, if the human race failed at stopping CHAOS, the world would end, but not this place. It was connected to the Spirit World. Those who died, returning to energy and back to the Spirit World, were still attached to this place, protecting it from Daya's reconstruction. A piece of themselves embedded in the walls, a relic of their race. So that hopefully a future race would discover it and realize the truth. And the cycle would end.

In all her hopelessness, this realization was depressingly comforting to Korra. If she failed, there was a small chance someone, some enlightened being would find this hill and hear her cries. Would they understand? Would they spread the word? Would they try to break the cycle?

_You must break the cycle._

"I don't know if that is possible anymore."

_We are holding strong for you, Korra. Daya has tried to disassemble you, but we have resisted. The souls of the dead work tirelessly to keep you alive. To keep you in tact. To break this cycle._

Korra couldn't tell if the voices she was hearing were coming from the walls, or if she was imagining them as she fell into a slumber, remembering the only thing she wanted to.

Naga.

Korra shot up, awake, when she heard footsteps approaching from the opening of the crevice to the pond.

"Korra?"

"Who's there?"

"It's me," the young girl walked into the moonlight, the color of her dark blue hair magnified in intensity by the moon. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to be alone…I'm really sorry about what happened to your friend. That must be difficult for you."

Korra stood and smiled at Sydney, the girl she had never really been introduced to. "Thank you. It's okay. I've just been sulking anyway. I shouldn't even be this upset. I don't know. I haven't lost something nearly as significant as…well, what everyone else has lost."

"Korra, you can never compare losses of something as important as a loved one. It can't work like that. The significance of the loss depends on how much you cared about her. I can see you cared about her a lot, the grief must be so hard. I envy you for that."

"You envy me? You envy pain and sorrow and regret?"

"Yes. I do. I envy it because it is the sign of our humanity. Of your humanity. The fact that you feel so much sadness over this loss proves your inclusion in this human race. Your separation from the Spirits, who no longer seem to understand this beautiful thing we have. Who choose to ignore it because they want to build a new race, so they heartlessly destroy the old one," Sydney was silent for a few second. "Anyway, I came here to ask you something. Ever since I met Bolin, I've been able to recall most of my memories. I've been able to remember who I was and what I had been through. But you see, this Clasma in me is still disrupting me. While I have my memories, it continues to mask my feelings. I can remember something that happened to me, but I can't remember what effect it had on me. I can't remember how it made me feel. How it shaped me as a person is lost. So, I want you to do it. I want you to free me from the Clasma. Free me from my water bending, from this fake identity trying to cover up the events of my life that made me who I am."

"You would give that up? You have something most people would kill for. You have an escape from pain, a horrible pain because of what horrible people have done to you, to your parents. You would give that up and once again feel the pain and grief? You want it that badly?"

"I've been lucky enough to remember these things. I've been lucky enough to feel almost like myself again, but I feel I will never truly know my identity, my own self, if I cannot feel the pain of the ones that I lost, the ones I loved so that were taken from me. I want that back. I want to feel human. I want it to shape me. I want to truly feel, to feel love, to know what it is like to lose a loved one, feel it as strongly as possible, especially love for someone else, and with all the pain I've been through, once I feel that, I know that I will be able to do that. With tomorrow bringing the unknown to us, I want to feel it now, before it may all be over."

"You're talking about Bolin?"

"Bolin has been there for me. He is the best person I have met. And I want to love him, but I want it to be me. Sydney, with my dark past, without my water bending, just Sydney. As I truly am."

Korra walked up to Sydney and placed her left on Sydney's shoulder. "I think you are brave, Sydney. I am glad my friend has found someone great like you. You've really…helped me. I hope you know that. I'm sorry that things have been so hectic. We never got a real chance to meet each other."

"Then let's meet, but on the other side."

Korra smiled. She placed her right hand on Sydney's forehead.

"Korra? If I may ask you to do this under a condition? I don't want to lose the memories or feelings I've developed since I've met you. All of you. Since I met Bolin."

"Certainly," Korra said. She pressed her thumb against Sydney's forehead, and the draining was complete. Sydney's hair slowly changed to a dark brown in the moonlight. The radiant blue was gone, but something brighter glowed within the girl before Korra.

"Thank you," Sydney said. She hugged Korra tightly. "I'm Sydney. It's so wonderful to meet you, Korra."

* * *

The sky was slowly being tinted with the paint of dawn. Korra knew in just a matter of hours, the next day would be upon her, and she had no idea what to do. The hill, the relic, called to her for help, to stop CHAOS. The support she thought she had may have been gone. All that was left was her.

_ONI has failed me…_

Down by the pond, the team slept, cooled by the air coming off the water. Bolin held the newly cleansed Sydney close to him. O-Ren rested against a tree, trying to stay awake to keep an eye on Rong but finding it difficult to do so. In his half-awake state, he thought he saw a tall dark figure walk to the hill. He wanted to warn Korra, before he realized that there was one person missing from their Team other than Korra.

The voices were muted within the crevice and replaced with periodic pulses. Korra turned her head and saw a new figure standing in the opening to the crevice. A new visitor.

It was late. Or early. Korra stood to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Hallucinating Daya, a Spirit of the Dead from the mountain. She was scared, but as the figure approached, even before she could see the face, Korra felt warm inside. She knew it was safe.

Asami walked into the moonlight. Korra smiled at the sight of her. She felt her eyes begin to water and backed to the cliff, embarrassed.

"I needed to make sure you were okay, Korra. You always did for me," Asami said with a friendly smile.

"Thank you. I'm…getting there…I think. I've just been thinking a lot since I've been up here. About Naga," Korra smiled at the sound of her friend's name.

"What were you thinking about?"

"The day I first met her," Korra said. She looked at Asami's face which implied that she wanted to her more. That she wanted Korra to talk to her about that day, so Korra continued. "I was just four or five, I don't remember, but I remember the exact day, everything that happened. For weeks, I thought a monster or Spirit was coming to our house, and me being the curious little girl that I was, fed the damn thing every night, to see if I could make it happy." Korra smiled as she got into her story. "It kept returning. Soon I judged it not to be threatening, but to be lonely. Scared. It whimpered. Hungry. So I kept feeding it. I fed it the meat my dad had hunted and stored.

"Soon he noticed our decrease in food and concluded that it was me, so I told him what I had been doing. My parents were really scared that something was coming to our house each night and I was provoking it by feeding it. I said it wasn't dangerous, but what did four year old me know, hah. So my parents stayed up that night…"

_Tonraq sat outside the house, spear in hand, while Senna stayed inside, keeping the door closed so Korra wouldn't be hurt. Tonraq said it could have been a Spirit trying to lure children or something.  
_  
_From inside, the young Korra heard Tonraq shriek. He shot up and prepared to attack whatever was running for the house.  
_  
_"No, Dad! Don't hurt it." But Senna did not let Korra get near the window, saying it was for her own safety.  
_  
_There were no sounds of struggle from outside. Soon, Tonraq called for Senna to come outside and look. Not long after that, the two parents came in and asked if Korra would like to see the 'Spirit', Naga, that she had been feeding the last few weeks.  
_  
_"It's an extremely dangerous creature, but as long as you stay back and behind me, I'll let you see it!"  
_  
_Korra walked outside, protected behind the shield of her father. In the distance, the small polar bear dog, a pup, breathed heavily, panting. Whimper in its breath. Crying out for food. For safety from the wilderness. For something at all. It was no more than a few months old. Just a baby, like Korra, trying to survive without anyone there to protect it.  
_  
_"Korra, polar bear dogs are very dangerous. They are not to be tamed by humans, ever, so please just don't…" Tonraq looked down and saw Korra was no longer behind him. She was walking toward the polar bear dog. Fearless. A big, excited smile on her face, ready to hug it. "KORRA! My Spirits, what did I tell you?!" Tonraq raised his spear. Korra strolled up to the weak beast and happily embraced it in a hug, laughing with extreme enjoyment from finally meeting the Spirit, the white polar bear dog, that she had been keeping alive. "Korra get away from it, right now!"  
_  
_"It's not an 'it', Dad! It's a 'she'," Korra said, looking into the face of the pup. "It's a 'she', and she is my friend. Naga. She's come to me every night, Dad! She's my friend! I won't let you hurt her."  
_  
"I don't know if it was the fact that I had been feeding her every night, keeping her from dying inadvertently since I thought she was a Spirit, or, maybe, something just clicked between us, but whatever the reason, Naga and I became inseparable from that moment. My father tried to do it, he tried to scare her away, to prevent her from returning or finding us again, but I was always a step ahead of him. I don't blame him for wanting me to be safe, but I wanted Naga more. He would come home to find Naga, who he thought he had just gotten out of the house, sitting next to me in our living room, smiling up at him. She was so friendly to us that he eventually accepted her, although he was still scared knowing the great size she would grow to be. And she did, but with her size I just like to believe that her heart grew as well."

Asami could tell Korra was not lamenting as she told Asami all of this. Korra missed her friend and moarned over her death, but the memories they shared did not exist to make her sad. Korra knew this. They made her happy. Happy that she had the fortune to spend nearly her whole life with such a loving friend. A lifelong relationship, and Korra knew that even though she was only eighteen, it was a relationship she sustained for her whole life. For in the near future, no matter what, Korra's life would end.

"It was…one of the most wonderful things I could ask for. A relationship like that. One which lasted nearly my whole life," Korra said.

"I am so sorry about what happened to Naga, Korra."

"It's okay…Naga is gone, but as long as I remember her. As long as I continue to love her…she is still here. I will see her again soon."

"Korra. You have your whole life. I know it, once we win this, once we are free, you can feel that way again. The way you felt with Naga, the feeling of being with someone who loves you no matter what. Knowing that if that person was suddenly gone, you would be crushed, and while it is painful to think of such a thing happening, at the same time you feel complete, you feel human, you feel warmth and love because you have or had someone in your life like that. Because you cared that much about someone who was there for you and would fight for you," Asami grabbed her own left forearm as if she was in pain, but let go a second later. She stepped toward Korra, who couldn't find her words. "I never told my story back at the campfire because I didn't know if I could. But I will now. I've been so confused and frustrated this last year. Lost, feeling like my purpose was diminishing. But then you showed up, weak and unconscious in the street that day. And you gave me something: a reason to keep going. A reason to push the pain aside and continue to find my purpose. I came to you, because I thought that doing so would help me find that purpose. I felt something when I was around you. I saw you differently than I had before. Before you were the Avatar. You were a bender whose duty it was to keep balance in the world. But at some point, you lost that, you lost those abilities.

"But when I saw you again, you were not this Avatar. You were not some incarnated god sent here to perform a duty. Your purpose became unclear, and like me, you were trying to find it. You were a confused and lost girl, just like myself, and yet, even without your bending, you became something more unstoppable than what you could have ever been before. You continued to fight, for your own reasons, not from some divine orders, but your own conscious. Even without the power or role of the Avatar, you pressed onward, into danger and darkness, to protect the ones you loved just the same. And you did it as Korra…and when I realized this, you inspired me. You fueled my drive, to find my own purpose. But it was something else, too. The feeling when I was around you. A burning within me that I could see in you as well…something I couldn't ignore. The warmth and comfort of your presence. And...and everything tells me not to, but I am…I'm falling for you."

"I'm sorry, Asami."

Asami was saddened to hear this response to her confession. She looked away and was silent. Tears streamed down Korra's face. Her breathing rate increased after hearing what Asami said. Asami spoke, "Sorry for what? I wanted to…" she began, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry I haven't done what I was supposed to." Korra sat down. "You've got the wrong person. I couldn't get things right, get the help we needed. My plan was a failure, and we wasted all this time and now CHAOS is somewhere in the desert, ready to kill us all. All I've done is cost lives," Korra yelled.

"But you've saved them too. People that would have been dead if it wasn't for your warning to ONI. People who had no way of knowing. You haven't failed." Asami kneeled behind Korra, waiting for her to answer, to turn around and see the truth in what Asami was telling her.

"I don't know," Korra said.

"You already saved the world. And you'll save it again, but you can't give up."

Even as dawn approached, the moon seemed to burn brighter. Korra's breathing slowed. Asami could tell. She watched her back rising and descending, the rate getting slower and slower as Korra was calmed by Asami's words. Asami closed her eyes and looked down, feeling as though her one opportunity to express her true feelings was squandered. Tears came to her eyes. She heard the sound of movement, and opened them to see Korra, turned around, facing her, water in her eyes as well.

Korra's insides suddenly boiled with intense passion. She leaned forward quickly, nearly leaping at Asami, and embraced her in a kiss. The kiss she had wanted for so long. She let her passion go unleashed, breaking through the layers of inhibitions keeping her from experiencing the thing she truly wanted before the end came for her. Knowing that now she would be taking more from Asami when the time came. Although it felt impulsive, the tug of her emotions was too much to handle for the longest time on top of everything else. Korra wanted this last chance to love someone, someone whose values, whose very existence, provoked every bit of her desire.

Korra wanted this. Asami wanted this.

_At least this one night, give me what I actually want, before everything is gone._

The tint of the sky grew brighter. The sun would be rising soon. On the summit of the hill, the relic, within the crevice of the rocks, the two girls slept next to each other, Asami's arm over Korra, the feeling of finally being close to each other making them feel so complete. Their last peaceful sleep, for it was unclear what the coming day would bring them. But both Korra and Asami knew that whatever it brought, they would both be willing to protect each other, no matter what happened, until the end.

**/*1. Found that 'bar' icon :p finally.**

**2. I hope the last scene was foreshadowed enough, possibly overforeshadowed. I never had the intention of making this fic completely centered around Korrasami, but I do think that pairing is cool. Would've liked to see that in the show, not just because it's lesbians, but because I actually think it would be a good pairing. Two girls in love in a world where we aren't sure what people believe about couples i.e. strictly man and woman. That probably won't happen the avatar universe because of Nickelodeon, although Grey has basically made Tyzula happen. Anyway, the story is most important to me, but having this subplot is cool. It's a changing world and this emphasizes that. Thanks for reading this far! The end is near I swear. The last couple chapters will be PACKED!*/ **


	55. The Revival

/***Edit 5/21: once again the immortality thing, so while Spirits can be killed the fact that they are comprised of raw energy makes it more difficult to kill them.*/**

-The Revival-

_I have a story as well, Oni._  
_The story of Daya's destruction of our world. The second world._  
_We wanted to escape, but she refused to let us._  
_We discovered a power, a psychic power._  
_The possibility of control over the cosmos, allowing for the suppression of the power of a Spirit._  
_The suppression the most powerful Spirit in the Spirit World.  
__A power capable of killing Daya, capable of unraveling the energy keeping her in existence._  
_Her energy was too great for our hands alone to suppress, and before we were able to realize this power, our end came to us._

Korra felt herself slowly drift through her dreams. Trying on to something but a force driving her away. Voices. Screaming at her. Crying for help. A horrible sound. She tried to shut her ears, but she was paralyzed.

In her dreams, she thought she saw the starry sky of the real world. The moon above her on the hill. The forest around her illuminated by the moonlight. But eventually, the sky became cluttered with millions of stars, sparkling with different intensities, evidence to Korra that she was not fully awake. She lied on a dark blue field and knew that this platform was high above the ground. A straight-shot down. She had been here before

She saw the man standing in the white coat. Standing before a tall, ominous statue glowing green before her. At first it seemed that they glowed with hatred, but somehow Korra sensed a trace of sadness.

The man's presence overpowered her. Weighted Korra down, unable to move because of the gravity of his existence. His breath was like a strong wind, blowing against the trees, controlling his environment. Forcing it to follow his command. And Korra felt she was not in the real world, but not in a dream either. A connection was somehow made, and she believed she had connected her own mind with that of the beast's.

Within CHAOS. It was Solomon. He raised his arms, and the ground rose with him. Every step of his sending earthquakes. His significance magnified to the mind of this beast. Exercising his complete control over it.

The wind died, and the horrible screaming returned as did Korra. She felt like she was descending toward earth in a low-gravity void. In the mess of voices emitting from the walls of the relic hill, one voice seemed to speak louder, as if it was closer. Korra's stress at attempting to decipher the voices was calmed by this one particular voice. It revolved around her, and she felt that whoever it belonged to was here with her, in this same dreamy state.

_We can't give up, Korra._

_Asami, ONI has failed us._

_We are still here. We still have time. The world won't end immediately. You said it yourself. There is still a chance._

_There will be no chance if he controls the beast. If he is still alive._

The voices became louder again, mutingg Asami's voice. Korra couldn't take anymore. In the dark void in which she was falling, in this dream state, she pushed away from them. As fast as she could, she tried to escape them, and continued doing so until they became quieter and quieter. The dream felt so real. The voices disappeared, and even though Korra was falling through darkness, she knew where she was going. She knew her destination, and she fought her way to it. Fiercely. No more thoughts. No more doubts.

* * *

Asami opened her eyes. Her arm rested on the ground. Holding onto nothing. _Had it been a dream?_ she thought. She was on the hill, underneath the rocks on the summit. Alone. She remembered the events of the night before, but she didn't understand why this had happened. She watched as the sun slowly rose.  
The day came, and she was still here. Alive. But Korra was not. Korra had gone. Asami returned to the pond to tell the rest of the Team of Korra's disappearance.

That same sun attempted to light up the sands of the Si Wong Desert miles away, but failed to do so. An impenetrable layer of dark clouds had been laid across the sky, blocking the sun's rays completely. Shrouding the vast desert in darkness. What was once the orange dunes now glowed an ominous dark purple as if poisoned by the hand of CHAOS as it walked through the desert. Its skin began to burn as it approached the Memorial, emitting darkness which blacked out the sky. With each step, the sands were not depressed as would be expected if a human were to walk on it, but instead they spread away from the paws of CHAOS. Escaping from it. Driven away by the massive amount of energy the beast was unleashing to its environment. The sands continued to spread, fleeing from the beast as if each grain was a person trying to get to safety. Because of the gargantuan size of CHAOS, sand spread for miles. It looked as if the Earth was opening itself up for the creature, revealing the Memorial which had survived buried under the sands of the desert since this world's creation.

The diameter of this opening in the Earth spanned nearly the entire desert. The sky spiraled around this newly formed crater, its center point making contact with CHAOS as it slowly descended. The sands continued to spread out, arrays of large towers were revealed from their hiding spots under the desert, stretching across its entirety, rows going in all directions, fossils of the SPORE lining each of these towers. Thousands of fossils of the dormant planet destructors, long crystals extending from their bodies, the crystals that Graft and Solomon had discovered to be able to extract Clasma. Disrupting the balance of the world.

CHAOS stepped into the memorial, its paws placed in between the towers. The ground it was standing on, beneath the sands, was different than regular earth. The towers looked not as if they were built on this surface, but were growing from it. The beast connected itself to this surface, its paws losing its form. The cosmic energy now directed, flowing from its massive body into the ground and up into the SPORE towers. Bringing life to the dead contained within them.

The towers glowed with a green light. The green of Daya. Tiny dots lining the towers. The eyes of each SPORE. Solomon stepped down from his safe chamber within the beast and onto a small platform, raised slightly above the ground connecting the beast to the SPORE. He smiled, reveling at the center of the intense light show happening around him. He could feel the life of the planet destructors pulsing through the air. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air, taking in the scene with his whole being. But as he filled his lungs to capacity with the smell of his own victory, he sensed a foulness that flattened his smile.

"What is that…?" he said. He looked down and opened his eyes to see the young, dark-skinned woman standing before him, below his platform. "Your hood might veil you from mortals, but it won't hide your face from an Avatar, Oni. An Avatar, just like you once were."

The green of the SPORE towers reflected off of the young woman's long blade, like a saturated cluster of stars. Her grip tightened on the handle.

"Well, I'm glad you are here," he continued. "You get to see first hand the glorious revival of the SPORE, the key to fully connecting the Spirit World to the physical world." Solomon walked toward the edge of the platform, looking over Korra below him. "Once enough souls are collected and the channel between these worlds is dissolved, then Spirit World will be fully upon this world, and they will wreak their havoc on this planet, wiping it completely clean in order to build a new one over it! And you! Have you come here to watch? What is your reason for meeting me here?"

"I've come to end you, Solomon."

Solomon laughed. "End me? Hmph, okay, so let's make the assumption that you are even capable of beating me. Then what? Do you think that will put an end to any of this?"

"Killing you will at least remove your control over CHAOS. Blind it from strategy. It will give the humans a chance to hold it off. It will give me…a chance…to kill her."

Solomon just seemed to dissolve through the platform on which he was standing. He was now on the same level as Korra.

"Is that why you are here, then?" he asked. "You think your plan is flawless, but only if you just 'simply' get rid of me? I'd like to remind you how I nearly ended your life the last we formally met like this."

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Only because I allowed it. But I will make sure to amend that generosity. I will make sure I don't hold back."

"I don't think so, Solomon. Not this time." Korra pointed her sword at the man in the white coat. She wanted to clear the sly smile off of his face. She wanted Daya to plummet out of this man's body. He looked as if he did not even consider fearing her in the slightest, but she wanted to change this. The layer of darkness in the sky over the desert was affecting the rest of the sky across the world. Cracking it as two worlds were preparing to collide.

Solomon's fists began to glow with the cosmic energy. "You've been struggling over whether or not it is right to end her, haven't you? And yet you feel so justified in coming here to kill me?"

"You have died, Solomon. You should not be on this earth. Your only purpose for being here is killing us. You must stay where you belong. I know you've died in hatred, but you have to see, that this race doesn't deserve this end. The Spirits created life. Life that feels. That strives for greatness. Some fall, but some learn to value this life. Learn to value their potential. Learn to love and care for one another. Do they deserve death because of their faults?"

"Ah, Korra. In the new world, there will be no faults. There will be no shortcomings. We will be perfect."

"You cannot expect such a thing to ever exist in this world, Solomon. An ideal world is not reality. It is not human. In an ideal world, we are not free. It cannot ever be."

This enraged Solomon. The cosmic energy intensified until it could no longer be contained in his hands. He shot the beam at Korra. The energy subdued her and brought her to her knees. She tried to fight back, but he was able to keep her down as he approached her. "There is no one to protect you this time. No Uncle around to intercept you. No second chances. You're going to go where you belong. Far from this world, where you can only watch it burn to the ground."

Solomon grabbed Korra's and she felt herself stretching out, her arms and legs shaking wildly as her environment around her was sucked away. The green of the SPORE blurred together and was pulled into an abyss as Solomon transported Korra through space, bringing her to the prison within the Spirit World he had intended to bring her previously before she was saved by Tomkin.

_He's right. No one is here for you this time, Korra_, she thought as she was pulled through Solomon's portal. _It's up to you, girl_. Korra freed her arms from Solomon's grasp and pushed herself away from him with enough force to break his portal to the Spirit World, throwing the two off-course somewhere on the other side of the planet.

Korra came to, feeling the cold stabbing her skin, but still unable to see. It was not the dark void that she had just been in, Solomon's portal. Rather, she could not see because her eyes were irritated by something, causing them to want to close when she looked up. It was something cold, falling from the sky quickly.  
Korra realized quickly that it was snow falling on her face. A strong storm was upon her, blinding her except for merely a few inches in front of her. The ground on which she stood was a steep, slippery slope, indicating that she had set herself free from Solomon's grasp but in doing so had cut his path to the Spirit World and landed them at the summit of some mountain. The snow cleared for a few seconds and she was able to see the range of peaks surrounding her. Her body began reacting to the cold and altitude. Extremities began losing blood. Her ears started popping. She stood on a path which curved down the mountain, sharp turns beneath which were extremely huge drops.

Korra looked around her frantically, trying to adapt to her new environment, almost the exact opposite of the one she had just come from. The blistering heat and vast sands of the desert to the sharp cold and thick snow of the mountains. Finally she spotted him, nearly camouflaged with his white coat and white hair in the snow, especially as it started to pick up again in its intensity. Korra was blinded again by the blizzard.

The snow wrapped around her like a blanket, but it served as no protection from him. She knew he had seen her, but she could not move with any confidence as to where she was going. His sword was drawn, she felt it. The powerful sword from the Spirit World. She could not see or hear. The sound of the wind masked all other sounds. She held her blade up high, giving off the appearance that she was prepared for Solomon's attack. The illusion. Korra circled around in her spot. Waiting for her enemy to materialize out of the heavy snowflakes. She heard the footsteps in the snow getting louder behind her. She quickly turned to see Solomon running at her, his blade drawn. She was able to block his blow, but her lack of preparation for the attack weakened her.

The clashing of the two swords released a burst of cosmic energy, bright green, soaring in all direction like fireworks. Solomon just continued back into the veil of the snow after his attack, shielding himself from the young Avatar. Korra panted as she tried to get up quickly, getting ready for Solomon to appear again out of the snow, looking all around her, hoping she would see him before his sword went through her body. She needed to triangulate him somehow. Suddenly she heard him speak.

"Unable to see very well, Korra? I'll remind you that bringing us here was your doing. I'm just toying with you now." Korra tried to find which direction the voice was coming from, but it seemed to be all around her.

In her periphery, Korra saw the snow separate and a shiny piece of metal glide through the air. Solomon was upon her again. Korra turned and threw her sword up before his could reach her, blocking his attack, just barely, releasing again another burst of cosmic energy as the swords made contact, popping loudly as the Jacob's Ladder of energy ascended. The glow illuminated her surroundings for a brief moment. She saw Solomon instantaneously disappear back into the falling snow. His blow had nearly thrown Korra off of her feet. She dug her sword into the ground, trying to maintain balance. Trying to preserve her strength. Solomon was extremely powerful, especially with his sword. And somehow he could see her easily even in all this snow. Knowing this, she spoke back.

"What do you think your purpose will be once CHAOS has destroyed this world, Solomon?"

The voice was all around her again, He somehow was able to sever it and place it anywhere he liked. "A new race must be created."

"And you think Daya will give you the honor of helping her? That is what you want, isn't it?" Korra yelled. "You want a position at her right hand. You want to be the one who architects the next world, the next race. To make it perfect! The ultimate creative power. You want to make everything in this new world your way. A civilization that serves you. You'll fix everyone to be without their own thought so they will only do good?"

"You simply do not understand the complexity which goes into the creation of an entire world."

"Maybe not, but I do know that your dream to be Daya's architect is a floating one. Once this world ends, you will have no more use for her. You are human too. She's lumped you into the same category as the rest of us. After all this, you'll be killed just the same, taken apart and thrown back into the Sea of Souls to be used for the next world. You will not have any power. Daya will not think twice about keeping you. She creates and destroys. She fulfilled your end of the deal: you murdered Graft. You got your revenge. She no longer needs to provide you anything. You live for vengeance. You are no better than the worst of us. And once she simply flicks you back into oblivion, maybe before you are completely disassembled you'll finally see, finally feel, the evil that you have helped to facilitate on this race."

Solomon gave no reply. Korra heard nothing but the wind. She gathered that her words affected her enemy. He was moving through the snow. She hoped desperately she had just convinced him, but she knew this was unrealistic. Her own words, however, had affected herself. To Korra, her words sounded like the words of someone else. A man she once knew. An old master.

_That's it_, Korra thought. _Uncle Tomkin's training_. Korra remembered the most important thing she had learned from his training. That she picked up on her own. The very thing that allowed her to progress, to beat her opponents and begin to understand the world around her.

Korra closed her eyes._ I don't need them. Let the wind deafen me._ She no longer tried to listen to the his footsteps approaching. Although she only saw the darkness of her eyelids, her surroundings lifted themselves from the cover of the snow underneath which they were buried. She could see all around her. The energy of the planet radiated in all directions, reaching Korra's sensitive being, allowing her to process its messages. Seeing every path and drop of the mountain clearly. Aware of everything that was making contact with it in her small radius. The stormy mountain became but an empty room to Korra where she could easily see her opponent standing before her, unknowing that she had remembered her training. He charged for her, but this time, she was ready. Korra no longer frantically searched for his arrival. She awaited it, knowing his every step, predicting his path toward her. Sensing him, raising his weapon toward her, his muscles tensing in way which indicated to Korra how he was going to unleash this next blow.

Once Solomon was swinging his weapon, Korra knew this would be when he was most vulnerable. As he attempted this strike, Korra moved from his path and deeply cut Solomon's arm, the arm with which he was holding the sword, causing him to drop it. Korra kicked it off the side of the mountain and ran for Solomon, but sensed his massive quantity of energy being concentrated in his fists, ready to shoot a beam of energy to kill her.

Korra raised her hand in front of her, a last, desperate attempt to block Solomon's attack. She felt the energy beam collide with it and run through the veins of her arm, trying to completely vaporize her, but it pressed no further than her forearm. As if it faced too muscle resistance from her to go onward into her body. Up to her heart, killing her. Korra was able to prevent it. She halted his energy beam with her own power over the cosmos, and even found the strength to push the beam out of her. She was reversing it, creating an energy beam of her own, forcing Solomon's back down her forearm, to her hand and even outwards back toward him. A bright green stream of energy now glowed between the two opponents, stagnant, struggling back and forth as Korra and Solomon pushed it in opposite ways.

Once the energy beam was just beyond her hand, Korra used her draining ability to send the energy extending from Solomon back to the Spirits World. Once his grasp over her had been suppressed, she acted impulsively. The only chance she might get, Korra bolted through the snow, against he wind, up to the unsuspecting Solomon, and drove her sword into his chest. Between her and him, the sword acted as a wire, forming a connection between the two Avatars, enabling Korra to easily drain the immense power possessed by the recreated man, forcing them back to the Spirits World. The Clasma embedded within her sword, Shoogar's sword, enabled this flow. The flow of Clasma from Solomon's body back to the Sea of Souls.

Korra didn't want to pull the sword out, for fear of Solomon somehow surviving the impalement. He stared straight up into the sky, not so much in pain, but in shock. In fear. But also in sadness. Korra stared down at him. It was a strange sensation: killing a man who was already dead. If anything, she was doing his former self justice. His eyes slowly changed from their bright green glow back to their original, brown color. Solomon raised his hand to try and grab the blade going through him, but he simply phased through it. With his energy from Daya drained, nothing was holding his physical being together. Nothing kept him in this world any longer.

"Daya…she will know," Solomon said calmly as he began to disappear. "Eventually, she will find out and try to tear you apart."

"I've got friends in the Spirit World…friends that are doing all they can to keep her from doing so. Friend who keep me alive, here." Korra was no longer talking to him as if he was an enemy. She did not hate him. She saw the Spiritual influence over him fading away just as he started to fade away. Returning to his normal self, a man who had been corrupted by Daya's will. She suddenly felt that she cared for him. She wanted to talk to him, to tell him that things were going to be okay.

"We are close. Close to the city. And CHAOS…now that I will be gone…it will bring the SPORE to wherever the most souls remain. It craves the inherent cosmic energy of people. Might I remind you that you contain a large amount of this energy as well, being the Avatar."

"What will it do? How can we beat it?"

"The beast will come where there are the most souls. Where there is the most contained cosmic energy. That is its only direction. The SPORE follow and attack anyone in its way. Once this happens, the channel will dissolve...and the Spirits will come to bring the end. Daya remains within the beast. If you can get inside before this happens…you might have a chance."

His voice no longer sounded demonic. He sounded like nothing more than a regular man. Exorcised of the dark force influencing him.

"Get inside? How?"

"The beast will release the Spirits to this world somehow, right? The world will be open. Beyond that…I'm not sure."

Korra watched in horror as Solomon really started to fade into nothingness.

"You do know," he said, noticing that she was watching him, "that you will meet this same end if you are able to miraculously succeed in your mission?

"Yeah," she said, "I know."

"For whatever it is worth, I am truly ashamed that I had let my anger completely overcome me. I am sorry."

The blade merely stuck in the snow now. The blizzard was suddenly calmed. Korra saw her surroundings. She was completely alone on this mountain. She looked up to the sky, flickering strangely. Streaks of purple streaming across it. The initial effects on this world as the Spirit World began its assault. The Revival had completed. Korra looked down and stared at the spot that Solomon had been lying on as he disappeared, wondering what it would feel like when that happened to her.

_It will happen to me. And only me._

Someone else heard this thought as well. Korra looked behind her to see him, the tall air bender in his yellow and orange robes. The blue arrow tattooed on his bald head.

"I had to do it, Aang. He had to go. Don't give me your speech about life. He was already dead."

"You know why I am here, Korra."

"I do?"  
"Yes, you called me here. I've been trying to contact you, but you've resisted until now."

Korra knew why. Her inner walls had been torn down at seeing Solomon disappear, knowing that this was going to be her fate in the near future. The sight had weakened her guard against Aang showing up. She needed to confirm her strong resolve. She needed to tell him.

"I'm going to stop this Aang. One way or another, I am going to kill Daya. She can't do this any longer."

"Your actions have consequences, Korra. You cannot afford to go into this without thinking about…"

"I have thought about it, Aang. And I'm tired of the unknown. I have to make a decision. And it has to be made now. Mine is exactly that. I am going after her, and I am going to kill her, even if it means murder, even if it means my own death as a result. Even if it means the end of bending. I know it must be hard for you to watch a culture die, but can't you see that these people have moved on? Can't you see we don't need bending anymore? We need to stay alive. That is most important. These people need me one last time, and after that, they will be free. They will never need an Avatar. They will never have to confront the Spirit World again. The two will be separated until the human passes on as a Spirit through death. As it should be. I'm not going to let this consequence keep me from saving a whole race of innocent people. I've made up my mind."

Aang looked sad. "Perhaps you are right, Korra. Perhaps I have been obsessed with the idea of losing bending that I've failed to realize what is most important. It would not be the first time." The wind completely died. It was completely silent on this mountain now except for Aang's voice, which only Korra could hear. "When I was young, I refused to allow the world to change, even though it would help bring peace to the world. I fought to keep the Four Nations separate, stubborn in my disapproval of them conglomerating. I wanted cultures to remain the way they always were. That was what I believed was right, that was what I wanted, and that was what the Avatar before me wanted, as well. He even told me I would have to go as far as to kill my best friend to make that happen. But along the way, I saw the light, with some help. I saw that the world was changing, and that I knew this better than Avatar Roku did. It was up to me and only me to make the decisions. We were moving into a new era, and I needed to accept that. I cut myself off from the previous Avatar. I knew this new world, and I needed to make my decisions on my own. It seems that you must do the same, Korra." Aang approached her.

"But…we've only just met…"

"We've known each other for a long time, Korra. A history of wisdom, of experience, continually growing, but ultimately ending with the realization that we have fulfilled our purpose in this world. Ending with you."

"I have your approval, then?"

"You do not need my approval. We are one and the same. You are the wisdom of a new age. It is necessary…that I leave you. That I cut off myself completely. But before I do, I will tell you this. Daya's end may be the only way to end this, but please, make murder your last resort. If there is anything that must be done once this is over, it is ensuring that the relationship between this world and the Spirit World is free of hatred, of violence, of strife. That it remains balanced. That is why you were created in the first place."

"But how do I do that, Aang? How do I make her stop this? How can I make her see the evil she is committing?"

Aang placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. "I know it is possible. We all do." Behind Aang, Korra now saw rows of individuals, ghosts, old and young, male and female. Fire Nation. Earth Kindom. Water Tribe. Air Nomads. "We have been created in her image. All of us. We are her reflection. But in the end, we had chosen the human race. We have adopted the values and customs of these people. We were born gods, but we descended to serve the humans. Grown to love them, and longed to be a part of them. To be loved by them as well. We live to protect them, now. We live to preserve this world. I believe we are no different than her, and so she is capable of seeing the same truths." Korra felt strength within her being generated simply by the stare of the previous Avatars. A strength that felt like one she thought she had lost. But in a different form. She clenched her fists, and felt the energy rush through her arms.

Aang spoke one last time before he and all of the ghosts of the Avatars disappeared.

"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."

The energy emitted itself from Korra's fists, but she had full control. Full control over the green beams of cosmic energy, stretching out from her body like vines, zigzagging into the sky. Complete power over the Cosmos. Solomon's power.

The true power of the Avatar.

She felt the energy as it crisscrossed through the skies. She saw where it ended. A city, far away, once again revived, just like the SPORE. A revival of civilization, but for Korra, a revival of hope.

**/* to be clear - Korra doesn't exactly have her bending back, but she has control over raw cosmic energy like Solomon did. A true god.**

Also I haven't just forgotten about Team Avatar :D their side is explained in the next chapter i.e. what they were doing while korra was kicking Solomon's ass.*/


	56. A State of Flux

-A State of Flux-

_I told her…I told her there was still a chance. It felt like a dream, but she answered. Has she run off? Has she abandoned us?_

**_No, I haven't._**

Asami was snapped out of her deep thought by this reply. A reply from somewhere, within her? Around her? She looked up at the sky from the hillside, becoming increasingly more polluted with the oncoming darkness from the direction of the nearby desert. The entrails of CHAOS. The sky seemed to flicker quickly, like a burnt out light bulb struggling to illuminate. The physical world weakening under the Spirit World's coming, starting with the sky. The channel dissolving, the cosmic energy flowing back and forth more freely. Soon, the concrete, physical structures of the planet would start to be absorbed into this influx of raw energy.

As she looked upwards toward the oncoming darkness, Asami thought she heard voices. Nothing understandable. The voices seemed to zip by over her head very fast, only for an instant every few seconds did she hear what sounded like a human speaking in the air. Information traveling in the cosmic energy above her. Its strength increasing as it accumulated. In addition to the random voices, the sky emitted a noise resembling thunder. Not any thunder that Asami had ever heard. It almost sounded like the sky was starting to crack, shatter into a million pieces and fall down on her, revealing the infinite abyss of the Spirit World behind it.

While the voices over her head seemed to go out in all different directions, meshing together into an indistinguishable mess, Asami heard one in particuar that was so undeniably clear. She felt it within her, and it soothed her. It held back her fears as she saw what was happening around her. As if the energy that carried this particular voice was meant only for her to receive, to comprehend.

_Korra, you are still here. You are still with me, _Asami thought, smiling.

Asami made her way back to the pond. The rest of the Team noticing the sounds they heard above them, thinking a storm had found them. Asami hurried, hoping they had not been awake for more than a few minutes and noticing her absence. It was late in the day at this point. "You guys." she said calmly. She stopped before the group. "Korra is gone."

"What?" Mako yelled.

"Since when?" Bolin asked.

"I don't know," Asami said. O-Ren looked at her suspiciously from head to toe as he held the still unconscious Rong in his arms. "I woke up just a little while ago and noticed the sky was like that," Asami lied, pointing upwards at the unstable sky flickering in color, purple streaks of dark clouds running across it. "I ran to find Korra. To see what had happened. But when I got there…she was gone."

O-Ren easily caught Asami's lie. He smiled slightly, remembering that he had seen her sneak up to Korra hours ago and had been there since. Knowing exactly what had really happened. The rest of the Team took no notice. Bolin started to panic more than the others.

"Gah! Why!? Why now? What happened is she okay? Is she dead or the Spirits got her or something!" He grabbed his head and paced around.

"Bolin, calm down. What's the matter with you?" Asami asked.

"What's the matter!? Probably the fact that Korra was our only way out of this whole mess and now she is gone. Just left us and now what do we do? I'm sorry if I'm a little scared at the thought of all of us just dying today!" His words brought tears to Sydney's eyes. Even though they sounded like crazy bantering, Bolin spoke the most probable truth, at least in the opinion of the rest of the group. The weight of what he was saying was larger now that they could actually see this apocalypse beginning above them.

"I don't believe that is true," Asami said, struggling to distinguish her words between truth and lie. Struggling to speak only out of faith and look beyond the facts of their situation. "I don't think we've been abandoned."

"Well, it's the perfect time for her to leave," Mako said. He threw a few stones into the pond, watching wavy reflection of the sky as it was changing colors. "What do we do? Go find her?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Asami said, "But when I went up to that hill this morning and saw she was gone, I sat their for a while, thinking about what to do and…I thought I heard her talk to me." Asami looked up again. She was getting the skeptical stare from most of them. All except Sydney, who just looked to her with interest. "There is more of this…energy around us now. It carries information with it. I'm sure that I heard her speak to me through it. She told me that it was okay."

"Is she dead or something, then?" O-Ren asked.

"No…she's just far away."

"It's true," Sydney said. "There is something about that hill. At the top there are all these carvings and at one point while I was up there I thought I heard them speak to me, too."

Asami smiled and nodded. "I don't know what has happened to her, but I trust her. I trust she knows what she is doing, and she has tried to reach me. To tell us what is happening. To assure us that we can make it. We _will _make it. I know we will. We don't need Korra for everything, and I'm not going to let anything happen to us. Believe me, or not, we have to go. Bolin, you still have the radio?"

Bolin slowly pulled the radio out of his pocket, giving off the same static as usual. "Yeah, what good is it now?"

"Man up, Bolin. I need you for this one. Keep trying to call someone. Anyone. Send out whatever signals you can over that thing. Every frequency. It's saved us before. As for the rest of us, I think we need to leave."

"And go where?" Mako asked.

Asami hesitated before she spoke to them. Mako was hardly believing her as it was, but there was no other way to explain what she truly believed she heard on that hill.

"Republic City."

"I should've known," Bolin said sadly.

"Republic City? What the hell for? Do you realize how far away from Republic City we are right now? And what's there but Graft's legacy of killing drones? How do you know the Spirits aren't just screwing with you, Asami?"

"I know what I heard, Mako. I know it was her. I know that is what she told me. Whether or not you believe me about Republic City doesn't matter…"

"Look," Mako said. "Maybe you did hear something. That isn't totally outrageous to me or anything. Nothing really is, anymore. But the fact of the matter is we haven't done jack shit to stop this monster. We haven't led a single attack on it or come up with any kind of plan. We just keep moving around, trying to find an answer, following faint traces of something that might be useful to us. We aren't getting anywhere and soon we are all just going to die."

"We'll die even sooner if we at least don't leave this spot. We stand no chance against the beast. Against whatever is being bred in the desert right now by it. Korra, she _did_ contact me. I felt her, and I felt the urgency with which she spoke to me. If you don't want to go to Republic City, then so be it, but I'm not letting you stay here and wait your inevitable slaughter."

Mako sighed and reluctantly agreed.

"Any luck, Bolin?"

"Still got nothing. Sorry, but I'm not quite sure what I am doing this. I'm still not sure what this blinky thing is."

"It's fine. She'll find you," said a voice that no one recognized. An old weak voice. The voice was right next to O-Ren's ear. He looked down at the wounded soldier he had been taking care of the last day. He felt the man move slightly in his arms, and the feeling shocked O-Ren, making him shriek and in reaction to being startled he dropped Rong to the ground.

"O-Ren! Why'd you drop him!" Asami yelled as she the others ran up to the weak man.

"I'm sorry. He was out for so long I never expected him to wake up. It just scared me I guess."

"What did you say?" Mako asked Rong.

"That radio…agh…" he struggled to breath. "I've worked with several of those things…ugh…it's sending an SOS. That blinking light. A geo-location device."

"Geo-what?" Bolin asked.

"Geo-location," O-Ren said. "The radio must transmit a signal that will be picked up by other radios. Geo-location information, in other words, our positions can be triangulated by whoever receives our signal."

"You think someone will pick it up?" Asami asked.

"She will," Rong said, as if he knew exactly what was going to happen. "She's looking for you. She will find you. I know she will. She is…our protector. Our guardian." The man was referring to the old Republic City Police Chief. "Even when we turned on her, she still fought to protect us. An unconditional love. I don't know how she did it. I only helped to try and break her. But I was so ignorant. Breaking something as pure as her is impossible. Too pure to give up on us." Rong began to cough up some blood. O-Ren looked worried at seeing this man as he lied on the ground, dying. "Hell, she even saved me from my death once, even after tried to kill her. I never thought the same since I woke up in that field. I remembered her words. They were like the words of a mother, and I reached for them. She was the only thing that kept me alive that day. I could truly feel the pain in her of seeing me suffer. That is something…that I have never experienced before. She is someone unlike any I ever knew. I couldn't live with myself, knowing how I had treated her, and now, I hope I die after doing at least one thing right. I hope I helped to end this in some way, even if I was the one who helped start it. I know I deserve to die, but I wish I could see her once more. To tell her I am sorry. To tell her what I've told you. That she is beyond the darkness of this world. Please, tell her, when she finds you, that I am sorry, for all that I had done, for the way I treated her. For…everything."

The team saw Rong's life diminish in his eyes. They had a blank, dead stare. His breathing stopped. It seemed like the breathing of everyone watching him stopped as well. The Team's glance shifted over to O-Ren, who was unable to find any words, and was no longer hiding behind his relaxed guise. The sight of this man's death frightened him. The only thing that ever really scared him: it was not death from an outside force, but a power that O-Ren held within himself. Rong's own power was the very thing that ended his life.

O-Ren closed his eyes, pained to see a metalbender die like this. His momentary reflection was disrupted by the wind picking up around them. O-Ren became serious again. "You heard the man. Let's get going."

The darkness above them had become much thicker by the time they reached their Satomobile. It felt like a powerful storm was chasing after them as they sped across the hilly roads of the Earth Kingdom, going back the way they came, this time on the main highways, unafraid now that they had dissolved Qu's regime. Darkness twisted through the skies like tentacles extending from the desert. As the car reached the top of a hill, it came to a stop.

"Dammit. Come on!" Asami yelled.

"What is it?" O-Ren asked.

Asami was scared to say what they all already inferred. "Car's out of gas. It's a long road from Metro."

"Welp," Mako said, opening the door, "I guess we better get out if we don't want that storm to catch us."

"What happens if it does?" Sydney asked. Nobody had a clue. It was obviously not a regular storm, but what it brought for them, they just knew they were not going to stick around and find out. They walked up the road as quickly as possible. From their elevation, they looked behind them and could make out the pond and hill at which they had been camping. O-Ren looked back, wondering if he could see Rong's body still lying there. Or maybe, hopefully, he had revived and was just gone.

As they walked, Bolin spotted a boulder which would make a good vantage point of the storm off the side of the road. He hopped over to it and perched himself on top of the rock. Mako saw him gazing into the dark purple clouds on the horizon.

"Bolin, let's go. Quit playing around." Bolin didn't respond. He just stared, looking beyond the relic by the pond. "Bolin?"

"Mako, what is that?"

"I don't know, man. It's just dark clouds so it can't be…"

"No…look. There is something...moving really fast. Like, a whole swarm of bugs or something."

O-Ren stood in the road as he continued staring at the pond, thinking about Rong's untimely death, when he saw what Bolin was seeing. It was as if the darkness from the sky was now consuming all of the land below it. Not far from their campsite, what looked like a swarm of black insects began tearing through the desert. A black wall from the ground to the sky, white speckles were scattered across this dark cloud moving quickly for the group. As they came closer, the Team heard the loud screeching noise they were emitting.

Millions of creatures made up the swarm. All different sizes, some of them half the size of a human, while others towered. Green Eyes. Green crystal structures extending from their bodies. Their skin the same intangible raw energy just like CHAOS. Melding together as they moved in this pack, forming this wall. Claws on their hands thirsty for Clasma. Ready to disassemble the planet, prepare it for recration. The army was saturated and densely compacted to form what like nothing more than the black sky touching the ground. But the Team knew precisely what they were looking at.

_The SPORE._

"They're here. We got to go, right now," Bolin yelled. He jumped down from the boulder and took off running up the road with the rest of the team.

"They are moving so fast. They've already reached the pond," Mako yelled. The relic was completely engulfed in the wave of SPORE lurching across the earth. Just swept away. Hope was diminishing, swallowed up like the light from the sun by the dark sky as the Team desperately ran across the vast landscapes of the Earth Kingdom, looking back to see their doom encroaching upon them, getting closer with each passing, wasted minute. They were completely alone in this wilderness, far from any civilization. The closest ones being Misty Grove and Metro, both of which, they imagined, had been completely evacuated. Or destroyed.

Asami looked around, suddenly more scared than she had ever been. It dawned on her that she might not get away. But Korra somehow knew that she would. She felt that Korra had ensured their safety, somehow. Korra spoke to Asami with such comforting words that she had a difficult time believing that this was the end. But everything in her situation pointed to this outcome. She looked around, disoriented, unsure where to run. The Earth Kingdom just stretched out in all directions. She knew not where she had come from. She had no sense of direction to the sea. And even if she did, would that mean safety at this point?

_Korra…where are you?_

"Asami!" Mako yelled. "Why'd you stop? Let's go!" Asami just stared at the ground, mystified as to why she felt like stopping. She wasn't tired, she just did not have any desire to run anymore. It felt pointless. They had made it far enough that they could not hear or see the SPORE behind them, but they did not want to think about how quickly the little demons could rear their ugly heads around any corner.

"Korra said we would be okay. Why did she say that? She must have known something."

"There isn't any point in asking that now, is there?"

Asami held her arm tightly, deep in reflection. Turning over a decision in her head, wondering if Korra somehow knew her secret, and was expecting her to save her friends now. Asami's dark secret. She started to roll her sleeve up when she heard the wind around her. Blowing against the trees, carrying whispers of those from far away. Thoughts and words. Distant energy. Some of it looking for her. Speaking words in the same voice as before, compelling Asami to press on, just a little farther. She complied, but not in the same direction that the rest of the Team had been running. The voice drew her slightly of the path toward the horizon established by a small hill nearby, beyond which she could not see.

"I think we have to go this way…" Asami said, just as uncertain as the rest of the Team about what she was saying.

"Why's that?" O-Ren yelled, wondering what the difference was, wondering why Asami looked like she had been stricken by something.

"I can hear her." The thoughts and words flowing through the sky drifted down and surrounded Asami, speaking to her the those things which ensured her that she was going to be safe

**_Life is filled with this darkness. You may not always see the light through it, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place._**

The wind sounded like it was about to pick up, like a huge gust of it about to blow through the trees, strong enough to blow the whole Team into the mouths of the SPORE.

But there was no force they felt. The air was just as calm. As the sound of wind became louder, Asami recognized it as the sound of motors. Of pistons going up and down. Of propellers spinning in circles extremely fast. The sound of an engine, coming from the sky, getting louder as she approached the horizon.

Asami reached the top of the hill and saw bright lights coming from the dark sky, shining on the trees before her. Spotlights piercing the layer of darkness, searching. The light came closer to her. As it became brighter, the darkness seemed to materialize into a metal airship behind the light, descending on the team. In their frightened state, the Team believed the ship to be threatening, some kind of trick by the SPORE, and they turned to run. All except for Asami, who noticed the insignia of the human on the side of the ship, just before the metal wire wrapped around her body and pulled her and her Team up into the aircraft hovering above them.

As soon as they were off the ground, the airship ascended quickly back into the sky, forcing its way through the thick zone of black. The Team was thrown through the bay doors and were met with the cold metal of the interior paneling.

"Well, good to see the tracker works, but do we have to keep saving you like this?" said an old, familiar voice. The metalbenders quickly retracted their wires, allowing the Team to stand and see that they were no longer in any danger.

A door opened behind them. "Lin, were you able to...," Tenzin said before he noticed the Team there, safe and sound. "Oh thank goodness you are all okay!"

"How did you find us?" Bolin asked, looking at the beeping light on his radio.

"It took a while. These radios have a geo-location tracker. When a signal is received from one of your radios, the static is completely suppressed when you point the radio in the direction the signal is coming from. But as you can imagine, there were several refugees sending out the same signal, so we didn't quite get to you first because we had no idea who was who. But at least we did before it was too late…" Lin looked out the window of the ship, one last glimpse of the surface before the ship plunged into the dark clouds above the earth. Bolin ran and hugged Lin, who was surprised by this show of affection.

"OH Thank you! You've saved us again! I was sure we were going to die!"

"Bolin, we had enough ground on those things. We would have been okay for a little while," Mako said.

"What things?" Tenzin asked. He then looked around. "And where is Korra?"

"She's gone," Asami answered. "She left…to do something important. For us. I know she is still alive, though. I know she will come back to us. And help us fight those things. The SPORE."

"So then it's true," Lin said, sadly. "They've come for us, just like Korra said." Everyone was suddenly silent. "Well, what has happened is done. If it's true, than we have to do something, right? Korra or no, we have people willing to fight." The team almost simultaneously asked what she was talking about. "Why don't we go up to the bridge, shall we? Get to a nicer environment."

They followed Lin through the ship's corridors, the windows they passed still black, indicating they were still in the process of ascending through the clouds. Asami hastily pulled her sleeves down, even thought hey were already over her hand when she was retrieved. She felt secured in her subtle gesture of fright, until she saw that Tenzin had noticed her do this. This scared her on the inside, and the fear was partially on her face too, against her wishes.

"After we escaped Metro," Lin said as they walked, "We sent a warning to the people of Misty Grove to evacuate because we though the beast was going to plow right through it. Tenzin and I were able to meet up with a couple of other ONI members who had helped in the operation. Luckily enough, these people had worked on the new airship designs,. These contraptions have been built and nearly ready for months, they said. Just undergoing lots of testing to ensure it was perfect. Well, as you can imagine, under these drastic circumstances, normal protocol was thrown aside. They decided it was the right time to finally release the ships, and so people were evacuated from the city on them. We took this one, but in the panic, we did not leave together. Many of the ships were scattered, and I don't know where they all went. We keep trying to communicate over the radio…but it seems this darkness is screwing with our transmissions. We've only been able to establish communication across very broken channels and most of the time we can't understand anything. The SOS signal on these radios is simple enough thought that any distortion from the Beast's emissions won't affect it that much. But since it is still so hard to track people using the radios, we first went for people we could retrieve quickly, so we got Tenzin's family. They are safe on this ship. Then we came looking for you."

"You know, I take back that 'thank you'," Bolin said, half-joking, but still pouting. "We were just an afterthought?"

"Look, Bolin. I made a smart decision. Wouldn't be very effective with Tenzin and I looking for you before we got an airship would it? How would that help? And are you saying it wasn't better that we rescued you _and_ Tenzin's family, rather than just you?"

"Yeah, bet you feel bad now, ya jerk," O-Ren said to Bolin as he passed him, punching him on the arm, teasing him.

"Sorry," Bolin said underneath his breath. They walked through a large room where Tenzin's flying bison was lying down, asleep from exhaustion, hay still hanging out of his mouth, moving back and forth with every snore. As they walked up the stairs to the bridge of the ship, O-Ren asked, "Where are we going?"

"Just trying to get above this darkness," Lin replied. As they entered the bridge, light glimmered through the windows. They could once again see the sky, the real sky, the sun, the blue mixing with the red glow from the sun almost like paint swirling all around them. The darkness now belong them, like a virtual surface of the earth, but extending its many arms upward, trying to subdue the remaining beauty of the celestial realm through which the ship was flying.

"Wow," Sydney gasped. "It's so beautiful. We must be so high up. The Sun…it looks so incredible." It did. The sun from that high up did not look the same to the team as it did from the surface. The colors it generated all around them glowed brighter and reached every tint and luminance on the color spectrum. After the sky was blacked out, none of them thought they would see it again. Especially not like this.

"How are we up this high? I didn't think mechanical airships could reach these altitudes?" Asami asked.

"That's ONI for you," Lin said. The bridge contained many screens with maps, radars, and controls for the ship. It looked like a room from the future. Another door toward the front of the ship led to the cockpit with the pilots. The crewmembers working the controls looked like the ones the Team had met in Misty Grove. "Now that all that is out of the way, let's talk about what we are going to do, since our doom is now apparently coming for us."

"You don't know where the others are? Any of the other members of ONI?" Bolin asked.

"We've picked up a few stragglers left behind, but we have lost touch with the masses of the organization."

"I think we should look for Korra, now," Tenzin spoke up. "If she has gone missing it is most definitely for a bad reason. And now with those things finally on the loose…she could be in trouble. We should make her the number one priority."

"I don't think so," Asami said. "Korra is okay. Wherever she is, she is alive, and she is coming back to us, just like she always has."

"How do you know that?" Tenzin asked, truly worried about his former pupil's safety.

"Because things are changing in this world. The Spirit World is moving in, and with that, so is more cosmic energy. I just heard it. I heard her. And she told me she was alright. And she led me to you. To this ship. I know she did. She told me that we had to return."

"Return where?"

Asami took a deep breath. "To Republic City. Whatever is there, that is where we need to go." Many of the people working the controls stopped to listen to Asami's words, confused but also extremely interested.

"Is there anything left of Republic City?" Lin asked, quietly, trying not to feel pain at the thought of Republic City crumbling.

"Can Korra tell you where she is?" Tenzin asked.

"She won't tell me. It isn't important where she is, only that she is okay. She left us, sure, but I know she did it for a reason. She was not taken, she did this by her own choice. But it was for us. She doesn't want us to come looking for her. She will find us. I think we should just listen to her. I think she wants us to focus on what is more important, and that's stopping Solomon and CHAOS from killing everyone."

No one spoke against her. Lin looked around, noticing the crewmembers who controlled the ship. They were lost, eagerly awaiting Lin's command. Restraining from acting until she told them what the plan would be.

"I think she is right, Lin," Tenzin admitted. Lin looked at him with a puzzled face.

"It was you who was so skeptical," Lin responded.

"What she says makes sense, at least to me, in a very weird way. And knowing Korra…well, something that sounds this strange…isn't so strange when it involves her. She is the bridge between the Spirit World and this world. The conduit between us and those who seek to kill us. I think…she knows what is best."

"What could possibly be there?" Lin asked. Asami shrugged. She honestly did not know, even though she was the one trying to convince everyone to make the trip back to the city.

"Ain't no way in hell we goin back there!" The voice came from the cockpit. A man with long hair and goggles around his neck walked up to the group.

"I think I'm the one who is captain here," Lin asserted.

"That may be true, Lin," the man said, "But this ship is my design. My baby. And I will agree to you being captain, I will embrace it, only under the condition that you don't lead it right into death's hands."

"What are you talking about?"

He became frustrated. "Republic City ain't no playground. The rest of the world just got nothing but trees and dirt. But Republic City got them monsters who can shoot lightning and fire and all kinds of elements. They'd tear us apart in a second. And I know this ship is pretty damn sturdy. I built the thing, but then, what is the point of plunging it into a place like that? Where everything wants to kill you? Where'd they'd find and expose the weaknesses of this ship just to bring it down for their own enjoyment?"

"What else do we have? Where else can we go?"

"Well once you give me proof that there is any reason to go to Republic City, then maybe I'll repeal that condition…"

Asami couldn't handle the stress. She wanted to be alone. Try and contact Korra. Get some idea of what to do or why Republic City was the answer. Figure out what awaited them there. Tenzin saw her leave and followed her through the corridors of the ship.

"Asami. A word." She turned around, surprised that she had been followed.

"I'm just going to get some air for a bit. I can't handle it up there."

"I'm not here to talk about that," Tenzin said. It was at this moment that Asami realized she had been involuntarily holding her forearms, massaging the skin under her sleeves as if they were in pain. She noticed and quickly let go. "I've noticed your strange behavior, lately."

"What strange…"

"The way you speak, you don't make eye contact, you shy away from people, and recently, I've seen you groping your arms, like you're hiding something underneath them."

"What is it to you?"

"Asami, please. What is it?" he asked sternly, almost ordering her to show him what was under the sleeves covering her arms.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because you aren't the only one Korra speaks to. She's told me about you. About how she feels about you. Whether or not I condone it is irrelevant. All I know is that she only asks for the safety of her friends. I want to uphold that as well. I want to make sure you are all okay…for Korra."

Asami listened to him. She slowly raised her sleeves past her forearms. What Tenzin saw baffled him. Underneath the skin on her arm, in between her veins and arteries, there was some object, slightly bulging out, glowing an unmistakable green color. The contraption inside her moved slightly when she jerked her arm back.

"Don't touch it," she yelled.

"What…what is that? Is that…" Tenzin knew the color, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Asami looked at her arm in horror. The substance glowing green was contained in a tube embedded into her forearms. "I didn't do this. I swear. When I got infected…under the influence of Clasma, I became someone else. Someone horrible. A mind that only sought more power even at the cost of my own well-being. The Clasma I had was not enough. I needed more, and I needed it on hand, so that at any time I could get my dosage. I quickly designed these tubes to store the Clasma, and I embedded them in my arms, attached to my veins. With the help of a waterbender, I had these things put inside me and whenever I tense my arms too tight the tube will open and release the Clasma into my body. I promise, I haven't used it once since I was rescued."

"Then we must get rid of them. We must have them removed at once."

Asami backed away. "No."

"That is a power that you don't deserve, Asami. No one does."

"I know that. I don't want this either. But I have it, and it's a part of me. I don't know how to take this out. I don't know what I could lose if I tried and did something wrong. I haven't had a single desire to use it. Not once… but I might in the future. These times are desperate. This world is facing its end and we are the only ones who are trying to stop it. Just us. Alone. Fighting for the survival of the whole human race. If it comes down to it, I'm prepared. I'm prepared to use this if I have to. To save another from the onslaught of SPORE. Hell, I was even prepared to use it today if it meant my friends could live. Prepared to give myself up. Lose my sanity. My memories. My identity. Even my life, in order to hone the power contained in this to fight off anything trying to kill us. I'm prepared, Tenzin. I have very little left in this world. My time on this planet has proven to me that I'm not wanted here. It's taken and taken from me and that is all it has done. I have no place. But that doesn't mean the rest of the world should just die. The very little I have left, I am ready to use this power in my hands to save them, I am ready to give everything up. You can't stop me, and neither can she. I've already made this decision a long time ago."

"I won't stop you. It would be wrong of me to try, Asami. I hope you have clear eyes in this decision. But I want you to realize that you do have a place in this world. I want you to realize that what you have left is more valuable than what most people will have in a lifetime. You are not much different than her. I know this. She is willing to do the same thing for you."

The heat in the bridge reached a maximum. Lin could no longer argue with the pilot. He was stubborn, but it was understandable to her. This was his ship, and how did anyone know what Republic City had waiting for them?

"Captain! We are getting a transmission! It looks like a code," yelled one of the communication engineers.

"A message? Finally, we've been trying for over a day." Lin heard a series of beeps and pauses coming from a box before the engineer. He pressed a few buttons on a console in front of him and letters began appearing at the terminal. Every member in the bridge left their station and gathered around this man as he deciphered the code. Each decoded letter came up onto the screen. Lin was sure she could hear the heartbeats steadily increasing from everyone around her as the process continued for the next ten minutes or so. She then felt these hearts all jump up into their throats at the message's conclusion.

Lin read the screen and looked over to the pilot, who pouted and turned to the cockpit. "Fine," he said. "Full speed ahead to Republic City."

The other crew members could no longer contain their excitement after reading the interpreted message. They jumped up and down, hugged, screamed. The Team returned to read the message as well, then proceeded to join in on the celebrations, while Lin read the words over and over again, trying to convince herself that they were really there:

**Commanding all ships to return to the New Republic City**

**The human race stands united**

**The fight ends here**

**-General Iroh**


	57. The New Republic City

**/*Whew thanks for reading and reviewin. Love em. **

**Edit 5/21: once again took out the immortality business (of SPirits in spirit world / physical world)*/**

-The New Republic City—

_Asami held Korra close to her as they lied together within the stone chamber on top of the relic. She could not remember a time when she felt this complete. Like the piece she had been missing her whole life was now being cradled in her arms. She could not waste this moment. She wanted to be immersed in it, every second of it._

_Asami looked at the walls. They were covered in strange drawings. Hieroglyphics disguising the true meaning. Asami wondered what they meant. Wondered how they got their and what the artist's purpose was for drawing it. She did not understand a single one. _

_"Korra?"_

_Korra moved, indicating that she was still awake. Still attentive. Still alive._

_"Yes?"_

_"Nothing…I just wanted to tell you how happy I am right now being with you. I haven't felt like this in such a long time." This seemed to make Korra happy. She turned and buried her head into Asami, trying to be cute. Asami giggled. _

_"That's really sweet."_

_"Hah, I've never seen you like this, Korra."_

_Korra seemed so vulnerable now to Asami. "I guess I've never felt like this either. I finally found the person I can open up to. Let my defenses down. Just let it all flow down the river, gladly." She smiled up at Asami and kissed her. "Asami, you said you haven't this for a long time," Korra said, hesitating before she continued. "What about Mako? If I may ask? Did you actually…feel something for him?"_

_"I thought I did…" Asami said. She thought the question over in her head, trying to trace the reason back to its source but finding it hard to remember when it began. "But I think I was just having trouble accepting the truth. You know how we tend to look past it. Hope it isn't true?"_

_"Hope what isn't true?"_

_"That you don't actually feel the way you do because it makes you ostracized and people are driven away from you. Start to hate you." Asami saw she had Korra's full attention at this point, so she continued. "When I was younger, after my mom died, something happened. I never had many friends in school growing up. I was shy and rather closed off from people because of the trauma of losing my mother. Kids liked to poke fun at me though for being the daughter of a rich tycoon, but whatever. It was something, I suppose. Well, one year this girl in my class, popular girl, lot of friends, invited me to her girls only sleepover party at her house. I never knew how it happened. Now I can imagine her mom must have made her, but at the time I didn't analyze the situation. I was so excited to be a part of it. Go to a sleepover. Gossip. Do girly things. I never had the chance to do anything like that and so I wanted to see what it was like. Also, there was this other girl going. A girl in my class I thought was really pretty. And she was one of the few girls who was actually genuinely nice to me when I talked to her. I was hoping we could be better friends after this party._

_"I could tell none of the girls actually wanted me there, but they proceeded with the night's events anyway, so I quickly forgot that. We painted our nails and did our hair and gossiped about boys. I remember how disinterested I was in all of it. None of it seemed fun. It felt like work to put all that makeup on and paint nails. I kind of just wanted to go home. I was so incredibly bored but I couldn't tell them that or they'd just get pissed at me. And at least I was hanging out with this girl who I thought was fun so it wasn't all bad._

_"Well, that night we decided to play this game, I forget what it was, but if you had a certain card or something you had to tell a secret. The secrets were never supposed to leave the room. I was so stupid and naïve then. I don't know what I was thinking. They asked me who was my super secret, never-tell-anyone-or-I'll-kill-you crush was. I smiled real big, seeing my chance, and pointed to that girl, that stupid girl that was there who was the reason for me coming. They told me what a crush meant, and I said I knew. They said it had to be a boy, and started laughing because I said it was a girl, and more than that, a girl in that room. The fact that I was serious made them laugh harder. I was embarrassed but didn't know why. And worse, I could tell the secret leaked all over the school. I didn't have any friends after that, no one even made fun of me anymore. They all just disliked me, and the girl that I thought was pretty ignored me. I was told that such a thing was not correct. It was different, wrong, not normal, so I thought I had to get rid of it. I bottled it up in a jar and hid it in my room, ashamed of myself, of what my mother would think of me doing something so wrong. _

_"I acted girly for the world, even if I hated it, I lost touch with my old self, but one thing I didn't let go was my love for pro-bending. Watching people fight was such an adrenaline rush. It allowed me to become some part of myself that was actually me. Maybe that was the reason. My fascination with the sport, my wish to just be a normal girl, combined together when I met Mako. Good looking guy. Pro-bender that I had been to see numerous times in the stadium and enjoyed watching. It made rational sense. My love for the sport overpowered my perception of myself. I did what I thought people wanted to see…_

_"When Mako developed feelings for you, Korra…I wasn't even mad for the obvious reason. I knew I should have been, and I acted like I was, but I wasn't actually mad that he didn't like me anymore. I was mad because the person he was falling for…was you. It was pretty easy to ignore those feelings for you when we first met, especially because you weren't seeing anyone. I knew it was wrong also at that time, so Mako was kind of like my buffer. My justification.. I knew I couldn't feel that way…but around you…I began to think that maybe I didn't need to hide. It was like you instilled something in me that made me unafraid to be myself. A sort of disregard for the systems and institutions set up in society that tell us how to think and who to be attracted to. That person that I once was, that I tore down to become what society wanted me to be, that I buried under layers of soil because I was ashamed, you found her, you found that burial and planted flowers over it, flowers blossoming with freedom, stretching higher than the arms of judgment from others. It was like feeling peace after a decade of suppressing myself."_

_"I never knew that," Korra said. "I'm touched. I'm not really sure what I did."_

_"You did it, though, Korra. You just did it without thinking. You showed me that it's okay. That being who I am is more important than what anyone else wants me to be. I could see that you, too, were aware of the stigma for what we had, but you taunted it. You challenged it. You kept coming back. And you inspired me to find my old self and challenge that, too. To smash that jar I hid my old self in and put those pieces back together. I don't know how…"_

_"I didn't do that, Asami. You did. You realized the truth about ourselves. About yourself. That you are not defined by your past. By your family. Or by what you choose to show affection for. You are defined only by Asami. And that is all that I see when I look at you."_

_Asami smiled, closed her eyes and shed a tear. "I don't think I could ask for a better way to spend this last day before…" Asami looked out to the sky, getting brighter. "Korra, what if this didn't have to happen? What if the world wasn't ending, and we were free from the Spirits? What would you do first?"_

_"What would I do?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Hmmm," Korra said. She stood up, getting excited about what she was going to say. "I'd leave. With you. We'd go back."_

_"Back?"_

_"Yeah, back to Republic City. Go home. And then…and then we'd find the best car in the city. And just take it. You and me. You would drive, of course." They both laughed._

_"And go where, Korra?"_

_"Far away. Anywhere. Just far away from civilization. Drive straight out, into the country, the wilderness, the open range. The middle of freaking nowhere. Drive for hours and hours together, seeing the beauty of the world mile by mile. And when we ran out of gas, we'd be at the perfect place when it happened. The most beautiful cliff side…no, a meadow! The most beautiful meadow. An infinite meadow. Just going off into the horizon. And we'd get out of our cars and run through it. Chasing each other like little kids with absolutely no worries at all. All day. And when the sun started to go down and we got tired, we would just fall in the grass, next to each other, close to each other. Lie there and stare at the sky. And be free. Safe. Happy. Holding each other as close as we want, far away from the city. From anyone who would judge us."_

_Asami's smile was big. "From anyone who would tell us what to do?"_

_"From anyone who would try and dictate our lives."_

_Korra lied back down next to Asami. The two were both dreaming the same dream. That magical place where they could be their true selves. Express their true love. Korra started to fall asleep as she sat in her euphoric state, thinking about this place, but trying not to remember the truth, that it was unattainable. That she had a job to do. And Asami, thinking the same. But they wanted it so badly…_

_"We're going to go there, Korra." Asami said._

_"What?"_

_"We're going to go there. When this is all over, I'll take you there. We will go together, just leave society, leave everyone, and find that infinite meadow. And we will finally be together. When we end this, it's going to happen, trust me."_

_Korra crept closer to Asami as she drifted to sleep, her head turned away, knowing that what Asami promised, as much as she wanted it, would never come true. _

Asami opened her eyes, remembering that she was on an airship heading for the New Republic City. It was no dream she had, just a memory replaying itself. She looked at her Clasma-embedded arm, hoping she would never have to use the power and lose herself. Hoping she would one day be able to go with Korra to that place. That heaven. She pulled her sleeve back down upon hearing the footsteps of O-Ren and Lin walking by the door to the small room she was napping in.

"The other day was just so…eye-opening," O-Ren said. Lin could tell something had changed him. He spoke sincerely, for once, to her. "For all of us. Mako can't come to terms with the fact that he took a life. I figure your first kill must be a weird feeling. But me, I've never been around death likethe ones I witnessed that day_._"

"Like what?"

"Qu killed Korra's polar bear dog. Right in front of her and me. That was something I never even want to think about. It made me sick. Killing for survival is one thing. But murdering an innocent animal, one that is risking her life for her owner. It's so disgusting."

"Yes, it is sad," Lin said, trying not to think too much about it lest it distract her from the mission. Throw her off of her game.

"Lin, there was something else, too. Something that really screwed with something inside me when I saw it. I carried Rong all the way from Metro to the camp we set up in the woods. But he didn't make it."

"Was he shot?"

"No…he died from metalbending."

"It happened…again?"

"Yeah. he went into a coma after he helped tear down the wall of the city with me. I guess it finally broke him. His vitals got worse as time went on, but he finally woke up minutes before his death

Lin stopped, no longer hiding behind her stern disposition. Remembering the pain of seeing her mother slowly die over the span of years, but for O-Ren at least those years of watching someone suffer because of their own bending was compressed into a day.

"I couldn't stomach watching it. The man barely holding on to the little life he had left. Struggling to grasp it. Shaking with fear because he knew he was going to die. It twisted my insides because it wasn't some disease or a murder, it was a power that the Spirits gave him. A power that he exhausted to the point where it actively killed him. A cancer that he was born with, part of his makeup, part of who he was, that was there to help him but only ended up killing him."

"Bending does not define who we are, O-Ren."

"I guess…but still, it's there, in some of us, innately. Are we not supposed to handle it?" Lin didn't answer. He could tell she didn't want to talk about this, so he agreed to leave that topic. "Anyway, there is something I need to tell you. I need to before we arrive because I don't know if the chance will present itself beyond that. I think this is what truly defined Rong, at least at his death. I want to believe it does." Lin turned to look at him. "He said he was sorry, Lin. He said he should have never treated you the way he did. None of them should have. He hoped that you could forgive him, and see that at least at the end of his life he saw the light and tried to do something good for us. He gave his life to tear that wall down, knowing it could backfire on him since it happened before. He didn't want to be here anymore. I could see that. Too ashamed of himself. But he was thankful for you. That you never gave up. That you were someone that doesn't let the darkness creep in and manipulate you when things get tough, when the world turns against you. You latch on to your principles, and I don't think even a Spirit or a SPORE could touch that soul of yours. It's bound to you like cement, Lin…and for the record, these aren't just Rong's words anymore.."

Lin was quiet, as was O-Ren, in their tentative memorial for Rong's death. Lin was thankful that O-Ren told her this. Thankful that there was more to fight for. That even those who fall the lowest can still see that glimmer light and reach for it. And that it is never too late to change someone.

"Captain," a voice said over the intercom, "We have arrived."

* * *

Team Avatar arrived at the bridge just as the ship descended below the dark clouds. Upon leaving Republic City, the Team recalled abandonment. Desolation. Tall building reduced to rubble. A city caved in on itself. Before them, now, a new city, bustling with the life of the survivors. Refugees from around the world filled the streets. Abandoned buildings now sparkled with light from activity. Antennae installed around the perimeter of the downtown area. The streets re-paved. Helicopters circling the revived city, long harnesses hanging from them, carrying vehicles, cargo, weapons, and some even carried small buildings. The Team saw many military bases arranged through the streets of the city. Rooftops and highways saturated with people, barricades, guards. Cars and tanks rolled through the streets. Layers of tall, metal walls arranged concentrically encircling certain areas. Watchtowers installed at these iconic places: the police station, the courthouse, the arena, Air Temple Island. The skies heavily patrolled by airships similar to this one. The lights shined bright as the black sky darkened the entire city, making it appear as if it was night. On the far side of the city, farthest from Yue Bay, there was the most activity, the most protected place, the Central City Station, with several towers placed around it, shining lights in all directions and at all times. Atop the building, a large metal structure installed, antennae sticking out from it, blinking red lights constantly. Cameras and guards surrounding the station. It was here that the ship was directed to go to via radio transmission from a nearby airship sentinel.

As they approached, they saw the masses of civilians. It was no longer just the military in this fight. Anyone willing to fight joined, grabbed a gun, a crowbar, their own fists. Many accepted the offer, to fight for their city, for their families, for their life. For humanity. Others took shelter with their loved ones near the station, or in it. Utilizing every space, finding anything that would keep them safe from the inevitable battle. The others, those willing to fight, moving out of the sanctuary enclosed by the walls, out toward the other checkpoints stationed closer to the water where CHAOS would come from, out into the lifeless streets of the city, lined with barricades and guns and explosives, where the fight would take place.

The ship docked behind the train station. They saw that the structure on top was actually a large annex, allowing the generals to plan and strategize for the fight. General Iroh, eager to greet the renowned Team Avatar, waited at the docking station.

"My friends. We meet once again. It's rather unfortunate that the only time we ever see each other it's because something bad is happening." The rest of the crew exited the ship, including the refugees and Tenzin's family. "Ah, I see you have more survivors. Excellent. We will have them taken to a safe place." Iroh looked at each member, remembering their faces from a long time ago when they helped to stop the Equalists all those years ago, in particular Asami and Bolin's faces. "It looks as though you are missing a rather important member this time around."

"Yeah," Bolin said. "Kind of a bummer…but knowing her, it isn't that weird."

"I wish that wasn't so. We could use any intelligence there is, and I know Korra is a treasure chest of useful information. But nevertheless, we will manage. I'm glad you're all here, now. Many in the city will be pleased about your arrival. Each one of you has been involved in this since it started. They almost see you as prophets, here to guide and save us." Iroh's words were immediately proven to be true. The Team looked to the train station. Many citizens, looking exhausted and emaciated from the past few days' events, crowded to get a glimpse of Team Avatar. Revel as they were in the presence of the very people who were believed to save this world from its destruction.

"Wow," Sydney said, grabbing Bolin's arm tightly. "I feel like we are famous."

"It's nice to be looked at and not hated, for once," Asami said, remembering how tough it was taking over the Sato business.

"They know what is coming for this world, and the fact that you present the slightest hope has made you all heroes to them," Iroh said.

"Iroh, why did you station here?" Lin asked.

"I'll explain as we go to the meeting room up there," he pointed to the large structure on top of the train station. As they walked, the crowd of citizens separated, forming a path for the Team to walk through. They looked to the Team with extreme gratitude in their eyes, some even bowing down. Some of their faces looked familiar from Metro when they freed them from Qu's dictatorship. A few citizens reached out and gently touched them in awe. Asami and Bolin admired the gesture, while O-Ren and Mako were confused and tried to shake them off. Tenzin was skeptical about the crowd while his wife and children embraced the attention.

Iroh explained. "We started construction of the New Republic City once it was destroyed. The place was crawling with people infected with what was called the Clasma, crying for help in the wreckage. Some of them so far-gone that they couldn't even think. We are currently keeping those infected in a hospital, our people are trying to treat them and seem to be making progress both with their wounds and mental state. As for the ones they called drones, we didn't have much of a choice as to what to do about them, as unfortunate as that sounds. The surviving ones were just killing machines.

"We didn't know what had brought the city down. Some people thought it was Qu, but evidence kept telling us that it was something much more powerful. Inhumanly powerful. So we began thinking it was a Spirit. After you discovered the settlement in Misty Grove, Korra's words spread like wildfire across the world. Telling us all of the danger we faced. Many were skeptical, but I believed it, and I was surprised but also pleased to see my opinion had a lot of gravity. People followed my lead, and we prepared for a battle, one final battle with this beast terrorizing our land, our people. No longer a fight for a nation, for a culture or way of living or an idea. But a fight for our own existence. Everyone, the whole world, got on board with that cause. Whatever differences we had dissolved." They walked into the building and rode the elevator up to the annex. Tenzin and Lin stayed behind to see his family off.

"Now, you all go with your mother. These people will provide you a safe place to stay. I will come and see you when this meeting is over. I'll let you know everything that is going on, then."

"Honey, where are they taking us?" Pema asked.

"There is an old hotel two blocks east," said a young woman who was responsible for escorting the family.

"Dad," Jinora asked. "Can I come to the meeting, too? I've used some of ONI's weapons before I might be able to help."

"I know you would be, but please, just go with your mother. I promise I will be there later today and tell you about everything that is going on. We can talk about that then. Just please do this for me, just now." Jinora agreed and left with her mother. Tenzin joined up with Lin at the elevator and informed her where his family would be in case anything happened.

The room above the station looked just like the bridge of the airship. A small command room. Cameras set up across the city sent feedback to various screens in all the rooms. Radios transmitted voices, updating on the perimeter status from the checkpoints. Iroh stood before a large window overlooking the city.

"Our reconstruction pace increased dramatically upon seeing footage of the actual beast tearing Metro apart," Iroh was explaining. "Almost all of the survivors were brought here to join the other members of ONI, and many volunteered to fight, too. As of this morning, the beast has been on the move. It's pretty amazing actually. The beast transmits cosmic energy through the dark skies which allows some of our technology to trace it back to the monster to track it. It's currently displayed on those radars in the other room. As you can see, it's basically going back the way it came. Into the ocean, then eventually here. It's energy levels are off the charts according to our engineers, but it's coming right for New Republic City."

"How did you know that it would come here?" Asami asked.

"We didn't!" yelled a voice behind the ground. Tenzin cringed as he joined back with the Team upon hearing the voice. They turned to see a tall, dark-skinned man with long brown hair. They each individually gathered from the man's appearance and his voice that he was crazy. "We began rebuilding this place and brought refugees back here before we even knew about this monster. Ah, hello brother." Tenzin rolled his eyes at the sight of Bumi but was ultimately happy to see his older brother safe. "Good to see ya all healthy!" He forcibly grabbed Tenzin and pulled him closer into a tight and uncomfortable hug. "How's the fam!?"

"They are fine, Bumi. Safe and sound in the hotel down the street."

"Good, make sure you keep an eye on that place. We don't know what is going to happen. Not to worry, we will keep a close watch on it, too. Unless, of course, we forget."

"Bumi, don't joke about this right now," Tenzin said, seriously. Bumi laughed like it was no big deal and walked up to join Iroh and looked out the window.

"Ain't she a beauty, though? Republic City coming back together," Bumi said.

"You did this all rather quickly," Lin stated.

"Yes," Iroh said. "At first we adhered to our philosophy. The only rule of ONI to never use your bending to get your work done, to advance the world. I petitioned to repeal that only rule, temporarily, in order to restore this place quicker. I know it sounds hypocritical. But I tell you this: if this was a human war, I would not have done that. The consequences of subduing someone because you have bending, because you have _that_ power over them can lead to an imbalance that cannot be solved because the Spirits endowed us with bending that the enemy did not have. It isn't right…but you see, we are going against Spirits. We do not and should not, as humans, ever have to face a Spirit. It is fundamentally unfair because we are fundamentally different. We do not belong side by side, in the same world, in the same dimension. The connection should not be an open one. We would forever be ruled. They endowed us with a power to keep this control…but we seek freedom from them. So in this case, I say it is fine to use their power against them, one last time, in order that we may be free from it forever."

"Good speech, Iroh…"O-Ren said. "But what if the monster goes plowing into some other city and kills all of them first? And if it does come here, what do you do when CHAOS just destroys all of your barricades and weapons?"

Iroh looked at O-Ren angrily. "O-Ren. One of my formers subordinates. I see you haven't changed."

"You were barely above me back then, Iroh."

"Well, that is General Iroh now, isn't it?" Iroh calmly joked under his breath.

"Quit your bickering, you damn children," Bumi yelled. "Whatever the case, O-Ren is right. That is why we called you here. Our prediction models tell us the beast is coming this way. But we need more intelligence to make the best strategy to defend these people. We understand the stakes, and what this thing, CHAOS, is trying to do with these SPORE. I know they will steal our souls and completely dissolve the channel between the worlds, so that the Spirits can cross over and tear down this one. That right? Sounds crazy but Iroh believes it, so I do, too. Right now, we have our skies patrolled, covering every inch within a reasonable distance. Our airships have been equipped with the most powerful guns and missile launchers, as well as qualified benders. We've placed many layers of metal walls accessible only by human hands, hoping that will at least add some resistance to the SPORE as they attempt to tear through the streets. Mounted guns and even anti-aircraft weapons have been installed across all the walls and on each watchtower. Our soldiers and civilians line every street outside of these walled-in areas, defining the war zones. Those who are not fighting remain in this circle, which is the safest place in the city. We are afraid to move them out lest the monster abandon us and go for them while they are unprotected. Please, tell me anything that can help. Anything we would need to know in order to stand a better chance."

The ships sailed through the darkness outside, only their lights and the very bottoms of them visible. Asami stepped forward and began explaining everything the Team knew, starting with what CHAOS actually is, and that within it is the Spirit World. She explained that a powerful Spirit from within the beast held the connection between physical and Spirit World. Additionally, she mentioned the role of Solomon. "According to Korra, the beast is being controlled by a man named Solomon. He died several years ago but was brought back to this world by a very powerful Spirit, the one responsible for the creation of the Avatar, to be the Spirit World's ambassador and help direct these events."

"Is he tied to this beast?" Bumi asked. "In other words, if he dies, what happens to CHAOS?"

"I don't know, and beyond that, I think we are in the same boat. But…I think it would make sense that Solomon direct it here, where the most people are so that he can collect the most souls..."

"It looks like that is what is happening, just tracking the beast," Iroh said. "There isn't any way to escape it, we realize that. There is no choice but to face it. The fact that it is coming here where there are the most people, well, that is a good and bad thing. If _we_ fail to stop it…then that is it. It would all be over for everyone else. But I can assure you that this will not come to pass. Our plan is simple: Defend. Stay alive. Do whatever it takes to do so. Fire every last bullet and missile, bend every bit of water and fire and earth at this thing. Hold off its supporting army until we take down the beast itself. "

"It'll take more than that, General," Mako said.

"There is no way to kill it. It has the power of the Spirit World keeping it alive. You know, like, infinite power?" Bolin said.

"The best you can do…the only thing you can do is stall it," Lin said. "Hold off the SPORE from killing us for as long as possible. They are much weaker than CHAOS, but I wouldn't be surprised if their numbers were infinite. They will not cease to attack. They will be killed and recreated by CHAOS, and they are the ones who steal our souls. Once they enter into this world and are killed, the Spirits will just use the energy to create more. As long as we are determined we should be able to just hold them off until…"

"Until what, then?" Bumi asked. "What is the point of delaying our own downfall? Why are we doing this if it is not to be victorious?"

"It is like Iroh said," Asami spoke. "They are Spirit, and we are human. We are different. We were not created to have their level of power over the cosmos, and so to fight each other, like this, like an outright battle, doesn't make sense. It should never happen. The only thing we are capable of doing is holding it off until one of their own stops them. They will keep coming, so we must keep fighting, until she saves us and ends this all."

"You are talking about Korra," Iroh said.

Asami nodded. "Korra is the only one who can actually stop this. She hails from their world, the Spirit World. We may have human power, but like you said, it is different than the power of the Spirits. Only she can deliver this power to the Spirit World in a way that would suppress their attack. Go there as a human and as a god. Allow us to finally realize our freedom. She is the bridge between our worlds, and so she is the key to allowing us to stop them. And once she does, the two worlds will be separated. She has to find the Spirit controlling all of this, but in order to do so she has to go inside CHAOS, for the Spirit World awaits within. That is why you must stall the beast as long as possible, and that is all we can really do. There is no possible way to kill it. It literally is an entire world contained in a vessel. She said if the beast is met with resistance, too much resistance, then it will give up some of its own strength and mobility to allow a direct pathway to open between the Spirit World and the physical one so that more powerful Spirits can get out, but that is precisely how we get in."

Asami felt her friends were not entirely on the same page as she was with this last statement. They looked at each other then back to her. "What do you mean, 'we'?" Mako asked.

Asami turned to look at them. "We are in this together. We've been together since this began, and we will be together until it's over. Stopping this Spirit is ultimately Korra's mission, but at least _I've_ sworn to be with her, to be by her side and see her through it all, for as long as I can live, no matter what. Until the end." Her Team did not answer. Asami would not stand there and try to convince them. She knew what the future had in store for her, and she accepted it. She turned to Iroh, standing in front of the large window overlooking the city before him, all the way to the bay, the waters acting up, gradually becoming angrier.

"Yes, that is how we do it, then," Bumi said, smiling. "A direct channel into the Spirit World. That is how we kill the beast. From within the damn thing! From within we fire our most powerful guns and blow the Spirit World sky-high! Show those Spirits what they get for messing with this human race. Tear it down until there is nothing left."

"Bumi, I don't think that is the right way to go about this," Tenzin spoke up. "We should not be interfering directly with the Spirit World. Protecting ourselves from them is one thing, but actively going into the Spirit World…that is for the Avatar to handle. You have no idea what you would be disrupting. We as human should not be meddling in those affairs. The two worlds must exist in a balance."

"The Spirits apparently don't believe that, Tenzin," Bumi said.

"I think they still do," Asami said, "They've just let their anger blind them from the truth. We should not let the same happen to us. We cannot blindly go in and start wreaking havoc. That is why we need Korra. She will know what to do, we just have to trust her. To believe in her. Our strength as humans, she knows how to bring it into the Spirit World. To use it against them. To preserve the balance, for both worlds."

"We will see what you think when the time comes if the Spirits don't deserve destruction after you witness how many lives will be taken today," Bumi said. He looked at Lin.

"I'm going to have to side with Tenzin on this one, Bumi," Lin said. "I don't think it is right for you to go through with this last part of the mission. Listen to us. That is why you called us here. Just stall the beast until Korra gets here."

"I'm tired of looking to one person to save us. Again and again," Bumi said. "We will follow your plan of action. It was basically our original one anyway. Attack the beast until it weakens, then we go inside. I am not doing this because I have any wishes to kill. I am not doing this because I am sadistic and enjoy the sight of death. I am doing this to save my people, the people I love, all of you here and all of them out there, ready to give their lives for this race."

"General Iroh, surely you cannot condone my brother's plan," Tenzin said. Iroh looked from Tenzin to Bumi, reflecting on the argument, when the alarms went off. Several officers rushed into the room and up to the general and commander.

"Sirs, an attack has been initiated. Energy is raining down from the skies. Its source is unknown but we imagine it to be the beast from far away."

"Shoot em down!" Bumi yelled.

"We tried. The energy just plowed through our missiles. They didn't have any effect."

"How powerful is this attack? Have any of our ships been hit?" Iroh asked.

"Yes, I think. A few of our ships far out are going down. But they weren't hit. The energy seems to disrupt all of the power of their ship, disabling the mechanics from keeping it in the air."

"That makes sense," O-Ren said. "The Spirits aren't trying to kill us today. The SPORE are trying to steal our souls, which they'll use to bring the Spirit World into this world. If they just killed us all that wouldn't happen, would it?"

"So then," Bumi concluded, "Sounds like this attack will just shut down our technology, if I heard that correctly."

"Which basically serves our souls to them on a silver platter," Lin said. The Team looked out the window at the dark skies in the distance. It almost looked as if the clouds had split and a bright meteor shower was traversing across the sky. Spanning its entirety. Like a million fireflies coming right for New Republic City to render every one of its defenses useless. All of its vehicles, communications, guns, airhships. Iroh began to panic internally as he felt the war would be over in a matter of minutes, a complete slaughter, if this attack reached them.

"I should have seen this coming."

A black shadow quickly moved vertically across the window. Its movements so swift that the Team barely noticed it.

"Did anyone else see that?" Bolin asked. Suddenly, Asami felt a familiar feeling. Her heart rate slowed as she became calm, knowing that things were going to be okay.

_She's here_

A dark figure soared across the air from the roof of the station and landed in the palm of the still-standing Firelord Zuko statue, all but his flame surviving.

Korra rose and stuck her arms out toward the mass of light heading for the city. Her fingertips glowed green, and soon the green consumed her whole hands. The light shot out of her hands, the familiar vine-like appearance, zigzagging through the air, into the clouds. The energy beams glowed so bright that the Team was blinded, unable to see the light of the energy rain from CHAOS beyond the city. Up in the air, airships witnessed Korra's energy beams extending across the sky, finally reaching the wall of the oncoming cosmic energy attack.

The energy discharged in all directions upon contact, causing a green lightning storm in the skies over the waters of Yue Bay. Immediately following this light show, the sky glowed orange, like a nuclear explosion, as Korra's energy beam detonated every droplet of CHAOS's energy rain toward the city, completely suppressing it.

All that Korra heard afterward were the gasps and thanks of the many citizens and soldiers at the foot of the statue, praising her. Looking up to their savior with awe.

* * *

"You've come back. I knew you would," Asami said quietly as she hugged Korra.

"Where exactly did you go, Korra?" Mako asked.

"Yeah and what was that glowy light-up thing you just did outside?" Bolin added.

Korra had joined her Team in the annex of the station.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left. I tried to help you, I wanted to stay," Korra looked at Asami, implying her double meaning. "But there was something I felt I had to do. I believed you could escape and be found. I tried to reach you. I left to go to the desert, to face Solomon. I hoped that without his guidance, the beast would lose its source of strategy and just become berserk. No direction. Solomon tried to take me to a prison within the Spirit World, but I broke free and landed us on one of the mountains near the city limits. I was able to kill Solomon, and my prediction was right. Without him, CHAOS would go for places where it would gather the most souls. It appears that place is here. New Republic City."

Upon finishing this sentence, an object in everyone's periphery grabbed their attention. They turned to the window to see a massive wave forming in the waters beyond Air Temple Island. Completely flooding it. Bright green eyes glowed through the floating water, but now joined by millions of smaller pairs of green eyes.

"They have come," Korra stated. CHAOS's wave came right for the city.

"Not gonna fall for that again. We got channels set up to redirect that water, ensuring none of our artillery on the boundaries gets flooded," Bumi said.

"Then what is our plan?" Korra asked.

Bumi smiled. "We fight the damn thing. Defend our existence with our lives until the beast falls."

"And when it does…I have to be the one that goes in. I know how to stop this," Korra stated.

"Absolutely, Korra," he said slyly. Bumi left the room, feeling the skeptical stares of his comrades.

Iroh remained in the control room watching the beast rising out of the dark sea. "Wow. It is incredible." The tidal waves were accompanied by the green and black waves of the SPORE. He turned to one of his officers. "Tell our men we have no more than five minutes before the SPORE arrives. Prepare for battle."

Korra grabbed the handle of her sword. Asami saw something dangle from Korra's belt. A mask with a rope tied around it. She walked up to her. "Korra, you realize that if I survive that long, I am going with you. Whether the others do or not, I am going in that beast with you."

"There is nothing I can do to stop you?" Korra asked.

Asami shook her head and grabbed Korra's hand. "I'm with you in this. Until the end. Just like we said, we'll be together, and so we'll see this through together."

"I figured you would do something like this," Korra said, smiling. The two hugged. "Thank you."

Asami felt the object tied around Korra's belt hit her leg. "Korra, what is that?"

Korra looked down and untied the mask from her belt.

"Why do you have that?" Asami asked, a little frightened.

"After killing Solomon I seemed to have inherited his power over cosmic energy. I'm not sure if Daya knows yet that Solomon is dead. She's been trying to disassemble me, literally, but there are Spirits fighting to hold me together. I can definitely feel it, though. Anyway, I released an energy beam into the air on the mountain and used it as a guide to find this city. I could contact and feel life, so I followed that feeling here to Republic City. I finally reached the bay, and this was just there, sitting by the water. Waiting for me. Perfect condition. I don't know why but I felt I was supposed to find it." Korra held up the mask, looking at it, the white base, the light green color, the big red dot at the center of the forehead. The evil gaze, as if the mask had a life of its own. It stared at her, and reminded her of those fears she had long ago. The fear of losing her bending. Of losing her purpose. Her identity, at the touch of the man's hand who had worn this very mask. And with that, she would no longer have any place in this world. It seemed so silly to her now. "I don't know why I kept it. I was so scared of losing my bending to this man. But here I am, siding with those who oppose the idea of maintaining bending. Fighting in a war that will end it forever. I can't help but think that he was something more. A man before his time. That what he said was completely true, but his methods were flawed, and in the end, the very thing that he sought to end consumed him. The very power he wanted to render useless was his own corruption. Like he wasn't capable of handling it. I wonder if I am nothing more than his protégé. As if I have helped to start an entire organization of Equalists. But, If I am to succeed, I must not meet his same end. I must not let my power be my downfall. I must remember what I fight for. I must remember what defines me."


	58. The Waves

**/*As usual, the reviews are awesome. The SPORE I pictured a slightly modified version of those unnamed dark spirits I keep seeing pictures for in the second season of Korra. Anyway, writing a war chapter was a little hard. Hope you enjoy! */**

-The Waves—

The autonomous guns surrounding the perimeter of the city could be heard from all ends, firing constantly as the SPORE rose from the waters and flowed onto the streets like waves. From the skies, gunfire rained down upon the bay as more SPORE moved in toward the city. With every hit, the crystals on the backs of the green-eyed goblins would shatter into millions of tiny shards and the entity would disintegrate into black dust.

The autonomous guns were trained to fire at anything with energy levels similar to those given off by the SPORE, since no human could emit that kind of energy. This was an attempt to preserve the population by placing machines at the frontlines instead of humans.

Two soldiers sat in their bunker set up on an outer wall guarding Narook, one of the military bases south of the police headquarters. Many of these bunkers were discretely placed on the contour of these walls guarding the city, towering over the streets before them. The two men were C\constantly cleaning and reloading their ONI-produced, super rifles, bullet strength enhanced tenfold, to satisfy their anxiety. They heard the gunfire cackling across the sky. Lighting up the dark clouds, knowing that down the streets before them, beyond the buildings, the inhuman race of killers was coming. Just for them. With no purpose but to end their existence.

"Feel like running? We pretty close."

"Not gonna lie, thought about it a few times." They aimed their guns over the barricade, making sure they weren't too shaky. Making sure they could pick of whatever was coming their way. The gun was heavy. "These guns really as powerful as they say?"

"Should be," the other soldier aimed his gun down the narrow street. "Ain't that much room for them to get through. We got the aerial support, too."

"Yeah…but there must be so many."

"If it was more than we could handle with these guns, then they'd send reinforcements. It's just one street out of many, and there aren't many soldiers to go around."

"You actually a soldier?" the man asked, looking at the other man's clothing. A few sweaters, a hat, old belts holding ammunition.

"Nope…just a pathetic waste of space. I spent my life living as the worst kind of person. I hope today I can redeem myself just a little." He loaded his gun. "What about you?"

"Nope. Just a store owner. But I'd do anything to protect those I love. I'm not going to stand around while this goes on around me."

"You have a family?"

"Yeah, a daughter. I'd do anything so that she can live a safe life. That is why I am here. Do you think…do you think we can really make a difference?"

"Who knows. These are Spirits. I've seen some strange things happen in the world so I can honestly say I have no idea what is going to happen."

"They say that someone has come to save us. A single person. To deliver us from this slaughter. There is so much skepticism…but I hope it's true," the storeowner said.

They both heard a noise ahead of them. A crash. The store owner looked worried. "Sounds like one of those guns or something broke."

"It is going to get rough, pal. Whatever happens, I'm going to make sure you get to see your family again. I've lived a terrible life, as a terrible person, and trust me when I say I don't deserve to come out of this alive, so don't feel bad or anything when I take the hit so that you can run. You have more to live for than I do. You promise me you will do that?"

"Ok…but why?" the store owner asked. At that, one of the autonomous mounted guns was thrown through the air and landed several feet in front of the soldiers. All the way from the waterfront. It had been no more than an hour since the SPORE arrived and they had already broken through the first layer of defenses.

"Because a long time ago I tore apart a family just like yours. There's no way to redeem myself for what I did to that family, but I can at least make sure someone else gets to keep theirs." The man raised his weapon.

The store owner dialed his radio. "One of the smartgunners is down. Landed right in front of us on block of 30th and North Ave, I repeat, the block of 30th and North Ave. The Narook base. SPORE have been spotted." Down the narrow street, small creatures rose out of the shadows, their green eyes indicating their position.

The first SPORE to appear looked like small animals. Quick like dogs, growling with nothing but instinct telling them to kill anything they saw. Multiple eyes scattered across their faces and short crystals protruding from their backs, connected through their bodies to their claws.

The two men fired their powerful, automatic rifles at the oncoming SPORE, bolting for them at full speed, ready to impale them with their claws and suck their souls out. The guns proved to be extremely effective. Just a single hit shattered the crystals and caused the creatures to disintegrate into dust.

But more were fast approaching. Endless amounts bearing down on the city's defenses. Behind the waves of smaller SPORE came different forms, more resistant to the humans' attacks. For a few hours, the human army was able to hold of the Spirit army at the forefront of the barricaded city at the Narook base. Stalemated around these second and third walls since the very first wall was manned only by automatic weaponry. The SPORE constantly changed in form, from weaker to stronger and bigger. The later waves of SPORE were more human-like. Tall, slender humans, able to weave in and out of the constant stream of gunfire raining down on them. SPORE grunts. The raw energy leaking off their arms. Their backs hunched and their eyes glowing green, locked on their targets. Sprinting through the streets, climbing the buildings and jumping through the air. Not only were they tougher, they were also smarter. Working together, these more sophisticated SPORE would combine together to form walls. Their defenses multiplied when bound together.

"Ammo!" A soldier yelled into a radio from with his bunker on an outer wall north from the Narook base, just one or two layers outside of the police headquarters plaza. A large box was placed next to him with more ammo for his rifle as well as a missile launcher, delivered by another soldier. "What is this?"

"Got a big wave of 'em coming this way. You are gonna need this thing." The man picked up the bazooka and got it ready to fire when he saw the waves of SPORE consuming the buildings in front of him. He cursed to himself and fired the missiles directly at the wall along with a few other soldiers who did the same, tearing it down but not completely. The rest of this wall of SPORE was destroyed from the aerial defenses patrolling from the skies over the city.

The airships proved to be invaluable to the fight. Their powerful weapons and clear vantage points allowed them to easily take out massive groups of SPORE. Every few shots from above, the ground troops heard the loud crunching noises of the SPORE's crystals shattering and saw black clouds of dusk rising toward the dark clouds. Dozens of small turrets lined the airships, spinning around as those who controlled them tried to subdue every SPORE in sight.

The waves of the green-eyed shadows had all moved past the mechanical front lines of the battleground, ripping apart every gun and pushing into the city. From above, it looked like a black tsunami was gushing over the barriers and eroding everything in its path. The wave had pushed all the way to the soldiers near the police station, the second base in the series of checkpoints, north of Narook, who were successful in halting it from going any further.

"Lieutenant!" yelled a voice over the radio. A man with a long handlebar mustache picked the radio up. "How are things in your perimeter? More ammunition and reinforcements are on their way!"

"Everything seems okay for now. They've come in large numbers but we've greatly reduced them," the Lieutenant looked ahead of him at the scene from high up in his watchtower. He was just outside the third layer of walls guarding the police headquarters to the right and the courthouse a few blocks behind them, guarding the northern sector of the front line as the Narook base defended the city from the southern side. These places, like the the police headquarters, the bases, acted as safe havens holding wounded soldiers as well as ammunition. As the SPORE progressed through, these valuable things were gradually being moved out to other bases further back, the train station being the last checkpoint acting as the guard for the sanctuaries where the refugees stayed.

Tall bunkers and watchtowers lined the metal walls, the bright lights of gunfire emitting from each one. As time wore on, the gunners could see that the SPORE were gradually pushing closer. They eventually reached the metal walls and started to stack on top of each other, struggling to scale the blockade and tear apart the soldiers inside. Several bunkers were dangerously close to being completely overtaken as the SPORE nearly reached the mounted guns and tried to rip them off. The men and women operating the guns became scared, constantly yelling for ammo, knowing that if they were caught off-guard the SPORE would be upon them in a second.

However, these bunkers were reinforced by their guardian angels, the airships, that helped to prevent these close calls as much as possible. As airships blew up the large clusters of SPORE, those manning the mounted guns in the bunkers simply picked off the small and quick stragglers scurrying through the streets below them. But sometimes the creatures would build up unexpectedly. "Hah! D'you see that one? It just exploded when I got 'em!" yelled the soldier manning the gun in the watchtower that the Lieutenant was in.

"I've lost touch with the Narook base," the Lieutenant spoke into the radio a few minutes later. "It's just a few blocks south of this one. No one seems to have brought any of the ammunition from it. I haven't seen or heard from any soldiers since the message that they were being attacked," as he finished his transmission, the Lieutenant noticed several humans approaching among the straggling SPORE, injured, firing their weapons and gunning through the grunts to get to the wall. "Hold your fire, those are humans!"

The store owner struggled to make his way past the bunkers. The lieutenant climbed down the watchtower to meet the young man as he limped to safety, a few injured men following behind him.

"What has happened?" the Lieutenant asked.

"The Narook base was overtaken. They killed dozens of soldiers there, and now they are moving inward to the city and up here as well," the store owner answered, traumatized. "They were evolving, the SPORE. The grew from small animals to human-like creatures and now even larger, more hideous forms. They have helmets covering their eyes, made of that green substance from the Spirit World. Their crystals are shielded by a long tail-like thing that runs all the way down their backs, starting at the back of their heads."

"Are there any others wounded left behind?"

"No. They don't leave anything behind. I saw it. They grow these long claws and just stick them in your chest. I watched it happen! They were coming, a whole slew of them, like little grunts bounded together like a giant hand of SPORE about to just crush all of us. We ran for the base but we knew we weren't going to make it. The only way was to risk going back and doing something to hold them up, but that would most definitely cost a life. One of our soldiers, a man who only called himself Lightning, turned back to face the demons. He planted several bombs and just stood there, firing at them, keeping them back just long enough for us to get to the base. When we finally reached the base, he had run out of ammo. They were all upon him when he detonated the bombs, killing the whole wave as well as himself, but saving us."

"He knew it'd be better for that to happen than for them to get his soul," the Lieutenant regretfully stated. "Right then, we'll get you all to safety. The police headquarters is the closest place."

"We're going to have to move farther back, Lieutenant. It won't be safe here for long," said one of the men who had come with the store owner. He wore the uniform of a pilot.

"As long as we have our airships taking out large numbers, we should be fine. They are guarding the southern perimeters as well so once we get more ground troops we can clear out the SPORE down there and reuse the base. I'll radio to the airships to…"

"That is the problem. They've gotten to them."

"We made it to the base but were unable to retrieve anything," said one of the other men, serving as a captain for the Narook base. "Just as we got to the building holding our supplies, one of our airships crashed into it from above. There were SPORE still on board. They had completely destroyed the engine from the inside. These few men were able to escape but..."

"We saw it up close," the store owner said. "The SPORE just stabbed the crewmembers with their claws. I watched the green substance flow out of the body and into those crystals. Their tangible souls being drained. The humans grew pale, extremely pale and almost gray. I just watched the life get drained from them and blacken their eyes. It looked horrible."

"How did the SPORE get up to the ship?"

"They just jumped. From the bay. They formed this catapult thing that is throwing all of them into the air. They just launched into the air at our ship," the pilot said."They keep changing and getting better."

They heard a loud bang. In the distance, south and toward the water, a large chunk of metal, orange with flames fell from the skies and crashed into nearby buildings. The Lieutenant saw the dwindling numbers of SPORE and took it as a warning that more waves were coming.

"Alright, move the ammo out. To the courthouse, our next base. Radio them to get ready. As for this place, it's going sky-high. We've planted bombs all around the perimeter. We get back and detonate those, it should buy us time and kill off this wave." Before the soldiers could even receive his transmission, a new wave was at the wall, tearing it apart. These new creatures just as the store owner described. Grunt SPORE. They stood on their hind legs, large green eyes which left smears of green as they moved up the walls and toward the bunkers, scaling them on all fours. Their long tails shielding their collection of crystals protruding from their dark bodies with which to store souls. They quickly scaled the walls before the soldiers in the bunkers could get to their guns. Many of them were overtaken, infested with SPORE. The gunners suddenly found themselves on the ground, looking up at the large green eyes of the creature, hearing nothing but its screams. In the next instant, the creature's claws were impaling them in the chest. They watched as the green substance flowed out of their bodies and up the arms of the SPORE. Soon, one of the crystals on the grunt's back lit up and the gunners felt completely taken apart, every part of them, their identity, their memories, leaving their bodies in a disorganized mess, maintaining no composition, no trace of the soul it once was. Just raw Clasma. The victim, completely gone, taken completely out of existence as his soul, his definition, was disassembled into nothing but energy, no longer giving him a purpose. No longer giving him anything. Just a lifeless vessel. No memories. No life.

Each victim felt the same way as their souls were taken. The desire to keep themselves together, feelings themselves leave their bodies and rising, but gradually forgetting everything about their existence, struggling to maintain their composition, struggling to remember who they were, the ones they loved, their purpose in life. Their reason for being here, but soon their idea of themselves disintegrated into its component energy stored within the beasts. These humans becoming nothing but power that would be used to create another. The Clasma behaving only remotely similar to the way it once did when acting as the souls for some human. When it was shaped by that human. When it defined that human.

"They've taken to the skies! They've taken to the skies!"

The Lieutenant escaped with many of his soldiers, mourning the loss of those whose souls were wrongfully abducted.

"Their souls might be nothing but energy now, without any trace of what they once were. But to us, those men and women will live on as long as we remember what they did for us. As long as we remember who they were. If we do, their souls are never really gone. They live in us." The Lieutenant pressed the button on a small switch.

Lin watched from the outer wall surrounding the train station farther back as the explosives detonated around the police headquarters building. Knowing that it was necessary, but hoping that her the building, that her mother's statue, was still standing after this was all over. Even from there, she could see the darkness, mixed with the green speckles, flowing through the streets, being held up at the walls surrounding the courthouse. Tanks rolling through the streets keeping the SPORE from getting from one wall to the next. Trying to ease the tasks of the gunners in the bunkers and the airships.

With more airships being taken down, Iroh was sending more to fill in for them. Atop one of the airships, Korra rose to the skies, deciding that the state of the airships would be the most important. The point of this war was not to win this. As long as the humans successfully held of the SPORE for a at least a short amount of time, then retreated safely to the next checkpoint, CHAOS would soon force itself to open and allow the powerful Spirits to come through and help wipe out the human defenses. But the SPORE were pushing through quickly, and preserving the airships would be the most significant factor in delaying the SPORE as they collected souls moving farther. She saw below her as more and more humans were falling at the claws of the green-eyed monsters. Korra pulled out her radio.

"Asami, how is the reconstruction going?"

Asami, on ground level, was helping to rebuild the broken down automatic gunning systems, branded smartgunner , and quickly reinstall it on the walls closer to the city.

"Got it working again. Wasn't much damage at least to this one. We've got about three set up around the park and they said a few more were put up near the actual train station."

"Awesome. Good work." She switched her dialer. "O-Ren and Bolin, you guys getting those walls up?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Bolin yelled, from the park in a region closer to where the warfare was taking place.. "Got our walls of earth all set up. Sydney is coming with the explosives, soon so we will have those set up in no time."

"Good to hear. What's Mako doing?"

"Mako is joining Lin. I think they said they were going to protect the gates of the Sanctuaries, where most of our citizens are residing, so the SPORE don't get a huge collection of souls from them. They've had a few encounters but I guess those two were able to handle it pretty well."

"Okay, sounds good. I'll take care of the ones up here."

"What does that mean?" Bolin asked, but Korra put away her radio and cracked her knuckles. As she did this, they began to glow a familiar green color. The ship reached the threshold of the darkness. Korra extended the energy from her hands into the clouds, trying use it to see where each ship was, the energy returning information – objects and their positions, presence of life, and sources of extremely high energy – the last of these coming right for her at that moment.

Korra stopped and drew her sword as the dark Spirit grunt materialized out of the clouds, claws first for Korra's neck. She easily cut through the creature, shattering its crystals and rendering it nonexistent.

_More_

Korra felt powerful. She could see every SPORE so easily, even in the darkness. Her cosmic energy senses had become even more sensitive than they had been before. She leaped into the darkness, closing her eyes, letting her energybending see for her. She used her airbending to make long jumps, hopping from airship to airships, slicing through every SPORE trying to tear down the ships. Simply by clenching her fist, large bolts of energy emitted from her hands and obliterated groups of SPORE rising through the air toward the ships. As the ships descended slightly, Korra saw the surface below. The bases that had been completely destroyed, nothing but SPORE flowing through the street like a river in certain parts of the city. She pinpointed the place where the creatures attacking the ships were coming from. Just as they rose from the water they would form a tower out of themselves and launch each one up into the sky.

Korra jumped down from the ship and landed on the tip of an antenna, standing above this SPORE tower. She once again charged her energy and sent it zigzagging to this tower, and in the next instant, after the green explosion, it was nothing but black dust. She did this again several times more before the airships seemed to regain a slightly upper hand on the infinite army.

_Perfect. _Korra grinned as she saw the streets clearing up again as the airships rained bullets on the SPORE below, no longer having to worry about SPORE taking them down. The power she held felt good. She airbended herself up onto the airship and prepared to make her way back, seeing the streets become unsaturated. Farther back, the stalemate between the humans and the SPORE at the walls appeared to diminish as there was no longer as constant an influx of grunts tearing at the walls. The airships once again instantiated control over the battle, filtering the horde so that the large waves of SPORE would be reduced to lone grunts by the time they reached the walls, easy for the gunners to take out. Korra looked at the scene and smiled. "Iroh, the airship conflict was averted for now. Tell them to keep an eye on SPORE towers launching grunts into the skies…" Korra turned around to see, in horror, the sky lit up once again, energy like meteors soaring toward the city. A bright sky of death. The same energy rain as before.

_NO_

Korra rushed to the edge of the ship and concentrated her energy back into her fingers again, ready to suppress the attack just like she had done earlier. But the rain of energy was much closer. Her time was cut short and soon the energy beams began colliding against the airships, completely destroying the motors and propellers keeping the hunk of metal in the air. It plummeted.

Several of the other ships went down as well, and the energy reached several parts of the city, bringing down certain sections of the walls, stopping tanks and disassembling bunkers and watchtowers. Its range thankfully did not reach into the spaces near the train station where the refugees resided, however, the outer layer walls had been severely damaged.

Korra jumped from the ship and landed hard down on top of an old building. She watched the smoking ship crash near the water, thankful since most of the SPORE had been cleared from this area, but as she started to run toward the ship to help the survivors, the massive green eyes of CHAOS rose of the water, roaring as it revealed itself, causing no waves this time as the strength of the energy emitted from its body simply boiled away all the water it touched, turning to vapor before it even hit the ground. From its chest, what looked like a massive SPORE grunt crawled out, materializing from the energy. So big that it simply wrapped its hand around the airship. Each of its fingers extended into the ship and extracted the souls of each member. The scene horrified Korra, but more horrifying was that more of these hideous, bigger SPORE were crawling out of CHAOS.

These newer forms stood and demonstrated that they were around the size of a small building, but gradually growing as well. It raised its hand and made them into fists. The SPORE giant then swung its arms, and this fist it had made became detached from its body, flying across the sky. When it landed, it decomposed into thousands of SPORE grunts.

"Iroh, the ships are going down! It was another energy rain. New SPORE have arrived and they are big. They're actually throwing armies of SPORE across the city. Over the walls. Get more troops to the train station so the citizens are safe. Have them join up with Lin and Mako. Warn the guards, and see if anyone is willing to come out here where I am. There are several fallen ships near the abandoned police headquarters. The SPORE will be on them any second I need some help rescuing these people, over and out!" Korra leaped across the rooftops to get to the places where the ships had crashed, hoping to find survivors and lead them safely back to the train station.

After about an hour, Korra successfully aided the survivors of one of the crashes going in the direction of the sanctuaries, setting them on their way toward the courtyard where they would be able to attack the SPORE from the other side of the courthouse walls. She was flustered when she saw how many other ships were in danger's way. As she reached the fallen airship in front of the police headquarters, she saw that there were people already helping the survivors to safety.

"Asami! Sydney! You guys came," Korra said.

"Iroh informed us. We and a lot of other people rushed out here to help," Asami said. The survivors escaped the ship and left in several military vehicles to get back. "We brought our own transportation.

"Korra!" Sydney yelled, pointing upwards. Korra looked up and saw another airship catch fire, almost directly above them.

Asami got on her radio. "Tell the airships to retreat. We are losing too many. These bigger SPORE are throwing smaller ones at them. We will get as many survivors as we can." She put her radio away and looked at Korra. "There are some grunts coming for this place. One of our smartgunners is being installed on the roof of the station."

Asami's radio sounded, and she picked it up, telling the person on the other end how to arrange the wires. "Yeah, you've got it. Perfect, come on back down."

"Who was that?" Korra asked. Asami looked to the doors of the station. They opened and the young ex-airbending teenager ran out to them.

"Jinora!? Does Tenzin know you are here?" Korra said, gasping.

"Well, not exactly, but…whoa", Jinora looked up at the ball of fire that was now falling to the ground beyond the station.

"Come on, let's get to that one before that fire burns everyone up. This one is all clear. It's on the way back, and there are more coming for us," Korra yelled. They started to run and heard the sound of the smartgunner begin firing, indicating that the SPORE grunts were near.

Jinora started to cry as they approached the burning fallen ship a few blocks down. "Jinora what is it?" Sydney asked her.

"I knew people on that ship," Jinora said, tears streaming down her face. "My old teacher, Tyko, was operating it. He said he would do it to keep an eye on me so I didn't get hurt while I was out here," Jinora cried a little in her hands. The fire was consuming the ship, disallowing the girls to approach or look inside for survivors.

Korra hugged Jinora, trying to comfort her in the middle of all this war. "I'm sorry, dear. I'm sorry this happened."

"It's true," Asami said. "He did watch over us. A massive army of SPORE greeted us and he took them out. We would have been dead without him, there. Without all of them."

"He was a great person," Jinora said.

"Jinora," Korra said, "I know this isn't easy, but we have to keep moving. He did what he did so you could live. Okay? Now, let's go." Jinora agreed and followed Korra as they made their way to the next ship, but kept looking back. As she did, she saw the burned body of a man crawling out of the wreckage.

"Tyko!" Jinora yelled. She turned to start running for him when she saw the wave of SPORE not far behind him. "No!"

"Jinora don't go back there!" Korra yelled, but Jinora didn't listen. She ran to her burned and battered friend and helped him to his feet.

"Jinora," he struggled to say. "No, please, don't do this. We will never make it."

Jinora stopped and realized the truth in his words, only until she remembered what she had packed in her bag. "You're right. We won't, unless I do something about it." She pulled one of ONI's explosives out of her bag and planted it next to the motor of the burning ship, hoping the explosion would be multiplied when combined with the motor already about to combust. She started to lift Tyko off the ground, hoping she would be able to act as crutch for him to walk but finding him much heavier than she anticipated. Korra and Sydney ran over and helped Jinora and Tyko get away from the wave just as it breached the fallen ship, triggering the bomb and blowing up the grunts in an explosion of crystal shards, metal, and black ash, the green of the SPORE's eyes causing the inferno to turn green as well.

Tyko merely dragged his feet agains the ground, gashes in his legs disallowing them to function at all. His long hair singed and his glasses cracked, he struggled to speak. "Thank you…"

"Keep moving. There is a car nearby. Asami has gone to get it," Sydney said. "We can drive it to the nearest base where there are soldiers. All these places were abandoned when the SPORE overran them." They ran through the streets now cleared since Korra's aid allowed the airships disintegrate the massive influx of SPORE. But now they had a new tactic.

"There are more of them coming for us. They aren't just going through the streets from the water like before. They are almost being thrown across the city. Over the walls!" Korra yelled. Behind them, the group heard a sounds like thousands of human bodies hitting the ground. Korra knew what that meant. "C'mon. We gotta get out of here."

"But now they are all over the city. Where do we go?" Jinora asked. Asami flew around a corner in a top-of-the-line Satomobile. From full speed, she screeched to a stop before them.

"Let's go," Asami said. "The SPORE are being held up, just up ahead but they are going for the sanctuaries. All of the refugees are there! "

"Mako and Lin can hold them off until the airships come for them," Korra said. "Those people need to get out of the city, though. Or at least get as far back from the walls. Tell them to move east, toward the mountains. Away from the war. Jinora, you go with Asami and Sydney. Take Tyko with you and meet up with your father. I'll call him to notify him. He should be patrolling one of the walls nearby. I'm going back to see if I can hold this next wave back and take out the SPORE that are throwing the smaller grunts at us." Asami agreed, trusting that Korra knew what she was getting into.

"Fine, but please, call me and if you run into trouble." Korra turned back toward the next wave coming for her as Asami sped across the city toward the inner layers where the refugees were residing, taking caution and avoiding the more dangerous, high-activity regions where most of the warfare was occurring. Tyko was going in and out of consciousness.

"Hang in there, friend," Jinora told him. The car soon reached the inner layers of the city. The statue of Firelord Zuko, the symbol of safety now, was in sight beyond another wall. In the next instant, the view was completely blocked when a SPORE grunt landed on the hood of the vehicle and stuck its claws through the windshield, shattering the glass.

"Shit!" Asami yelled. She swerved the car around, trying to loosen the grunt's grip on the car. Sydney kicked at the arm of the Spirit as it tried to impale her. Asami drew a pistol from dashboard and shot the creature several times, breaking a fraction of its crystal and rendering its left arm useless by shattering its claws. From the backseat, Jinora unleashed a strong gust of wind with her airbending, launching the creature of the car and completely ruining Asami and Sydney's hair. Asami did not hesitate to floor it and eradicate whatever was left keeping the grunt in existence.

The joy of victory was short-lived. In their mirrors, they saw dozens of SPORE running after their car. As they approached the next wall, a large pileup of destroyed military vehicles and upturned tanks blocked their way. On the wall, an abandoned bunker, a big hole in it, still smoking.

"What happened here?" Sydney asked in horror.

"Must have been hit by the energy rain," Asami said. She looked behind her at the SPORE. "Well, at least it isn't a whole wave of them this time. Come on, we got to go on foot. Quickly!"

They got out and ran for the pileup. Asami stayed toward the back of the group, holding back the grunts with her enhanced ONI pistol, prepared with a surplus of extra rounds. She reloaded and upon looking up, saw the car they were just in uplifted by the SPORE and soaring through the air, landing just in front of her.

Jinora and Sydney climbed up the roadblock of broken down cars, then Jinora used her airbending to lift Tyko up to them. Asami continued shooting at the SPORE as they closed in on her. The thought of using her stored Clasma crossed her mind, but soon a storm of bullets zoomed past her, killing the grunts. She looked up to the wall to see that several soldiers now occupied it, the tall bearded airbender standing with them.

They made their way up the wall to greet him. Tenzin hugged Jinora. "You deliberately disobeyed me Jinora…but, you helped do a great thing. Those crewmembers on those ships are very thankful for your help out there. You were very brave to do what you did."

Asami climbed up. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Korra informed us you were returning. She led me right here to you guys. I don't know how she knows these kinds of things. But look, it's getting worse. The airships are falling, our defenses are dwindling and now the SPORE are closing in on our refugees. We have our most powerful arsenal defending it under the command of Lin. But I'm not sure how long they can hold out.

"Korra's gone to kill the SPORE that has been launching the…other SPORE over the walls," Asami said. "I hope she can handle it, but I doubt she would go if it was too much for her. I'm going back to find her in case she needs a way out…I just need a car now."

The sky burned orange again as another airship fell from the sky, and what looked like a black hole fell through the clouds and landed just before the walls to the sanctuary. The soldiers and gunmen within the bunkers attached to these walls fired nonstop as the black hole just seemed to unravel into a swarm of SPORE grunts, scraping at the walls trying to climb up and subdue the soldiers shooting at them. Beyond this wall, the sanctuaries –blocks of tenements, inns, hospitals – safe havens for those not fighting in the war. Stretching all the way from the train station to the city limits. To the roads going up into the mountains. The most protected place of the city. The wounded soldiers were brought here for medical assistance, and all those who retreated back through the city would finally end up in these sanctuaries. From the beginning, it was planned to be the final standoff point, where the last remaining humans would fight until the death.

Lin watched the sky burn as airships continued to be shot down. Many more were still in flight, but the numbers were dropping at an alarming rate. "Alright Mako, things are getting worse around here. I hope Korra was right about CHAOS opening up because it better happen soon. I got word from Tenzin that she is taking out the source of this influx coming our way. Tenzin said he would be returning soon via airship with more survivors. The airships will be invaluable at this point. We need to get these folks out of here, though. The refugees need to be evacuated from this part of town, moved back where it safer. Where they are further from the battleground. Their lives determine whether or not we win this thing. Seriously. Their deaths will lose us this war just as much as the death of our soldiers."

"How is the wall holding up?" Mako asked.

"Not good. We are keeping them back for now, but they are slowly encroaching, as always. We have tanks on every street if they get through but we can't be taking risks. I want these people as far away from this as possible. At least until we defeat this wave of SPORE. After that we will see where we are, if you and I are still here."

Mako listened and began informing the residents to evacuate the areas closest to the wall over the radio. As he started directing scared citizens out of their homes and down the streets, the tanks nearby began firing at a slew of SPORE pouring over the wall. One of the bunkers had been consumed by them, and there were hundreds now making their way into the sanctuaries.

"Dammit," Lin said, picking up her radio. "Tenzin, we've had a small breach. A bunker has been taken down and the SPORE are moving in. We are doing everything we can to hold them back with the tanks. Get those airships here as soon as possible," Lin put the radio down, spotting a few SPORE that had pushed past the tanks. Lin drew her sword and easily sliced through the grunts, reducing them to dust. She continued to take down more grunts as they wiped out the front line of tanks, but soon the airships had retreated all the way back and were unloading their powerful guns on the invading SPORE, blasting them to bits. Lin, upon seeing the significant difference the airships made in the battle, turned and headed east, catching up with Mako. She ran down the streets as more tanks drove the opposite way to help destroy the wave. She stopped at the hotel where Tenzin's family had been staying. The last few residents were just leaving.

"Mako," she radioed, "Hotel is empty."

"Yeah," he replied. "I cleared them out. Tenzin's family is here with me. We are near the Pratt Street bridge."

"Good. I'm on my way there, now. There are a lot of tanks around me, too, so that should buy you a lot of time as they hold back this wave. Take shelter in some of the abandoned buildings on Pratt Street…" Lin stopped talking when she saw the green speckles on top of a nearby building, behind the lines of tanks, unnoticed. "Shit. Mako, prepare yourself. A small wave of SPORE seems to have spotted the mass of citizens you are leading. They are coming. I'll get there as fast as I can." Lin ran for the bridge, on a few blocks away.

"Lin!" Tenzin's voice said over the radio. "Lin, where are you? I've returned."

"Pratt Street. I told Mako to evacuate. Your family is with them. The SPORE were closing in, and I didn't know what to do. A small group of them slipped underneath the heavy fire of our tanks and are headed for Pratt Street. I'm going to hold them off."

Within minutes, Lin was at the Pratt Street Bridge just as the last of the citizens were crossing. A grunt jumped off a nearby building right for them. Lin raised her arm, carefully aimed and fired her mechanical, spring loaded wire at it, the metal claw on the end of the wire breaking through the crystals sticking out of the creature's back. It fell to the ground, allowing Mako to easily burn away the rest of it with his firebending.

"The airships and tanks are taking care of the infestation," Lin yelled at Mako. "We just got to take out these few SPORE that got through this far. I don't think there are that many."

"Are you sure it is a few?" he asked, looking at the small horde coming for them.

"It's a few for warriors like us, Mako." The horde approached. Lin and Mako fearlessly faced them head-on, knowing that if they got through them and reached Pratt Street, the result would be complete chaos as citizens ran for their lives. Their defenses were strengthened when Tenzin arrived with Jinora during a break in the oncoming SPORE.

"Jinora, bring Tyko to your mother on the other side of the bridge. There are people who can help him," Tenzin said as he prepared to help defend the citizens with Lin and Mako.

"Dad! Are you going to be okay?" Jinora asked, starting to cry.

"Jinora, I will. I'll be okay. Please, just go." Jinora listened and struggled to bring the unconscious Tyko across the bridge. More SPORE began to appear. The trio were successful in keeping them back, but any more grunts attacking at once would be too much for them to handle.

"There aren't much more," Tenzin said. "Most of the wave has be eliminated. We just have to take care of these ones until the airships and tanks kill the ones coming through the wall."

"You mean like that tank?" Mako said, pointing to the tank falling from the sky toward them. They sprinted backwards, running for the bridge as the tank exploded upon hitting the ground. They stopped at the top of the bridge's arc right in the center, where they had the best viewpoints of both sides of the train tracks going underneath the bridge.

"Shit," Lin said. Beyond the buildings they saw orange and black, no longer sure if the dark clouds above them were the same as the ones from before or if it was just smoke from all the destruction at the wall. Fortunately, Lin saw that the SPORE coming for the bridge was finite in number. There was still a good amount, but the green eyes didn't stretch back for miles.

"It looks like we are winning. There aren't any more after this small wave," Mako said.

"Let's stay in this you guys," Lin said, looking at Tenzin. "Just like old times, right? Got each other's backs?" Tenzin nodded. The SPORE ran up the bridge. Tenzin reduced their speed with his airbending and blinded them with his wind as Mako and Lin took them out one by one. Lin hacked and slashed at every pair of green eyes she saw while Mako shot flames of fire, hoping to get as many as possible in single blows.

They strategy seemed to be working, but soon the grunts farther back were able to get around Tenzin's force by crawling underneath the bridge. The grunts swung back over the side of the bridge, behind the trio, and ran straight for the other side. Straight for Jinora as she carried Tyko to her home. Tenzin heard the grunts land in the street and looked behind him in horror to see his daughter right in their line of attack.

"No!" he screamed, and stopped his air resistance involuntarily. Lin saw this coming a second beforehand and jumped back as the SPORE were no longer being slowed down by the wind. She fired her rubber wire as she jumped back to grab Mako and pull him back as well since the SPORE approached quicker now without Tenzin's airbending.

"Tenzin, go! Save her! We can handle this." Lin yelled. Tenzin did not hesitate to soar down the bridge on a gust of air and trap the two grunts in a powerful tornado, stopping them from killing his daughter by flinging them into the street, smashing their crystals to pieces. The force of the tornado got the attention of every citizens that had retreated to Pratt Street, who now looked back at the battle on the bridge, amazed at the determination of the three heroes.

Tenzin sighed in relief, joyful that the wave was nearly depleted now, that his daughter was safe, only to look back to see the scene on the bridge which stopped his heart.

Mako had fallen to the ground, the sharp claws of a SPORE grunt inches from his neck, holding it back with his hands, struggling to overpower the creature. Lin saw her partner in trouble and swung her blade through the beast, killing it. But in the act of checking whether or not Mako was still alive, for that brief second, Lin was overpowered by two grunts. The creatures cut her arms, forcing her to drop her sword, and pinned her arms to the ground, subduing her. She struggled to move them, knowing what these things were going to do to her. Mako started to get up, but a grunt, moving much quicker than he was, jumped over his body and landed in front of Lin. The sharp claws extended from its hand, and the grunt drove them into Lin's chest.

The last thing Lin heard were Tenzin and Mako's screams, then time seemed to slow down, and her environment became hazy. Disintegrating around her. She saw the glowing green substance flowing up the creature's arm, eventually leading to the crystals on its back. She struggled to breath, but the concept of breathing soon became foreign to her. The concept of being alive became foreign. She no longer felt her arms or her legs, feeling as though they were stretching out infinitely. Her vision blurred, and everything she saw, that last glimpse of the SPORE, became nothing but a blur of colors swirling around her, flickering quickly.

Lin was decomposing into her components. Her body leaving her. Her memories flickering before her. Her mind. All of her parts, given life by her soul. Her lost soul. Lin felt herself sinking in what seemed like water. Endless water. She felt as if the water was filling up inside her head, clogging her memories, her personality, her identity, and soon it would just flow outward and become part of this endless void she was falling into.

_Soon, I will be nothing. _

"Hey."

The voice was so familiar. She hadn't heard it in years. She attributed this to be one of her old memories of this voice, flowing out of her once concrete head and now encircling her in this void. But it spoke words she had never heard before, as if it was right there with her at that moment.

"Mother?" Lin said.

And suddenly, the darkness around her started shimmering. Like light reflecting off of metal. Moving metal. Walking toward her.

"I didn't want to have to see you like this. Not this way. So I came to stop it from happening."

"Stop what?" Lin said, her voice echoing all around her. "Am I dead?"

"Not yet. You aren't dying today, girl."

"Mother, they got me. I'm done."

"No, not my daughter."

Lin heard sadness in this voice now. A voice struggling to speak over its tears. Crying.

"Is it really you? Are you really here with me?"

"I've always been with you. As long as you remember, no matter what my soul decays into, we live one through the ones we have touched in this world."

"Now I know you aren't really my mother."

"I know…I know I'm not the person you wanted to hear from now. But I'm not going to let you die this way. I won't let them take you, so I'm coming to snap you out of this nonsense."

"To snap me out of death? What makes you think that is going to happen."

"Because you are my daughter. You have struggled through the darkness of your life, you have been burned and beaten and spit on and tortured but you have endured the pain and overcame the temptation to turn on the world. To turn against even the ones you hate. You must live to show the world that what you have become, that the strength you possess, the love you have for these people and this life, stretched beyond the hand of the Spirits. That such a soul can withstand anything the Spirits try to throw at it," Toph was quiet for a few seconds. Lin suddenly saw her mother's face appear out of the darkness. "I am sorry that I never told you these things while I was your mother. I am sorry I did not show my love the way I should have. The way you deserved. I am sorry…I was not the mother you deserved. I failed, Lin. I loved you so much and I was so proud of you. I still am. No matter what, Lin."

"Don't apologize," Lin said. She felt her legs again. Felt her arms regain feeling. She rose, looking at her mother eye to eye. "You did not fail. You were and always will be my role model. How could you have failed, if you raised a daughter like me? A daughter who isn't taking this shit any longer." Toph smiled and faded away. Lin saw the world materialize around her again. Time starting back up. She spoke to herself, watching the green substance, her soul, stop as it travelled up the arm of the SPORE. "A daughter who won't stop even when she's been touched by the hand of death. I've seen the darkest evil of this world. My soul is rock hard. My will to live is too strong for you to overcome, beast." Mako watched, stunned, not knowing how to proceed. Lin looked at the grunt, struggling to pull her soul out, but the green substance began flowing backward toward Lin. "I'm not dying today."

Lin pushed the grunt off of her and freed herself from the two holding her down. She grabbed her sword and easily killed all three of them. Lin breathed heavily as she fell back to the ground, bloody dripping from her chest. Tenzin and Mako ran up to her.

"Are you okay?" Tenzin asked.

"I think I will be," she said. "It still stabbed me in the chest though. So that hurts."

"We'll get you to the hospital," Mako said. "I just got word from Bolin and O-Ren. They are returning here with some cargo from the courthouse base, but the sanctuaries are safe."

"For now," Lin said. They helped her up and proceeded to traverse into Pratt Street when they saw the mass of people gathered in the streets. Ready to help Lin to safety in any way they could. Completely silent. Awe struck at seeing Lin rise from the dead. Inspired by her determination to live and protect them that she was able to take back her soul from the SPORE. To return from the afterlife. The refugees cheered, in thanks, that the three heroes had saved them. That they fought with their lives. The even the Spirits, even death, was not strong enough to break the power of the human.


	59. Divine Intervention

-Divine Intervention—

The air was thick with dust from the deaths of so many SPORE. Humid with ash. It was as if the dust would saturate the air, blinding the humans underneath the dark sky. Seeing and breathing nothing but the remains of the dead.

"So, what? Some girl is going to go in and settle this thing peacefully? The Spirits get off without losing anything, while we have to live with the death of our loved ones on our mind?"

The two soldiers stooped over the soulless bodies of their comrades. Their old friends.

"I'd tear down every inch of their world if I had the chance at this point."

The sky cackled violently. As more human souls were collected, the boundaries between the physical and Spirit World were starting to dissolve, just as Korra predicted.

_"It's almost time. Almost time for me to finish this."_

_"Are you ready?"_

_"I don't think I'll ever be, but that is not going to hold me back."_

_"Be careful in there. Their world will be new. Be prepared for the worst."_

_"I will."_

_"I'm proud of you, Korra. I never imagined you would have to be in this position. I've watched you grow and learn and become the mature adult that you are now. With a resolve so much stronger than I could ever have. I can't tell you with words how happy I am to see what you have become, but at the same time, how sad it is to see you go."_

_A warm embrace. The last she would ever receive from him._

_"Thank you for everything, Tenzin. Thank you so much."_

Korra looked toward the bay. CHAOS reached the docks of the city from the water. Its first steps onto the land sent small-scale earthquakes through the streets of New Republic City.

Korra, a few blocks away sitting on an antenna, watched in horror as the beast made its way through the city toward the defending humans, all gradually retreating to the sanctuaries. Proceeding before CHAOS were dozens of the taller SPORE who would occasionally throw bundles of smaller grunts across the city, although they had restrained from doing this since Korra had made her way to them. She had fought through several waves and was getting exhausted.

_There's too many, and even if I could stop them, what happens when I go inside CHAOS and these things just continue on and obliterate the rest of them?_

More airships were on their way, but smaller grunts would just grow off the tops of the much larger SPORE whose heads reached the dark clouds. Despite the looks of things, Korra could feel CHAOS as it approached. It knew she was there, watching it. Transmitting cosmic energy, connecting with her. She felt it weakening as the humans made a strong stand against it. Soon, it would break down, to allow the stronger spirits a way through. The Spirits that would build the next world. If those actual Spirits got to this world, there would be no hope. Korra would have to stop this before that happened.

"Korra," Iroh's voice sounded on her radio. "What is the status in your area?"

"The airships are almost back…but the giant SPORE continue to advance through the city. I can't take them down myself, but I don't think it would be the best idea to send an army back out here. Just a few reinforcements, we only need to take down a few more SPORE. We only need to survive a little longer. The beast is weakening, I can feel it. It is going to open the channel soon, and when it does, I think it be best that everyone evacuate the city through the mountains in the East, at least until I get this done. The Spirits that may emerge…I don't think it would be anything less than a complete slaughter."

"Opening soon, you say?" a new voice said.

"Bumi?"

"When it opens, traffic is accessible both ways. Is that correct? For anyone?"

"That's right. That's how I get in," Korra said.

Bumi, who was standing next to Iroh, smiled at him. They were strategizing in a small tent near the wall to the Sanctuaries, having relocated there after hearing about the breach and fearlessly aiding the defense of the citizens. Gunfire still sounded around them at the few remaining SPORE grunts coming through the walls. Over the radio, they heard loud crashing sounds as well.

"Korra, you still there?" Iroh asked.

"General, the SPORE have attacked the ships. They are leaping off the taller SPORE into the sky. It doesn't look good."

"Right then," Bumi said. "We will send a small team out to help take down these giant SPORE. I will lead them out there myself. We will be there with tanks to assist you, Korra." Bumi said. "You better stay here, Iroh, 'case this place needs ya. Another wave could come at any minute."

"Sir, what are you…," Iroh said, but his radio interrupted him.

"General!" the radio sounded. "A wave of SPORE snuck past the lines and reached the Pratt Street Bridge!"

"Better tend to that, General," Bumi said, and was out of the tent and running before Iroh's could even say anything to him. The General rushed to the Pratt Street Bridge where he found nothing but a mess of shattered crystals and gusts of wind carrying black dust. The remnants of the SPORE that had attacked.

_No. Too late._ Iroh rushed to the other side of the bridge and was shocked to see that the town before him did not appear endangered at all. No panic or carcasses or evidence of struggle. He witnessed several people near the hospital.

"IT WAS CRAZY!" the young airbender yelled to everyone around her who was actually listening, which, at the moment, only appeared to be two young twin sisters and General Iroh, while her younger brother made loud noises, demonstrating just how crazy it was. "Those things didn't stand a chance! Mako just had his firebending and was like 'pshhhhh', and then Dad was like 'woooosh' with his airbending! And even Jinora! She saved a man's life, and was almost about to die, but then Aunt Lin just sliced away the rest of them and saved us!"

"Ikki, right? And Meelo?" Iroh said after she was done yelling him the story. They both shook their heads up and down, excitedly. Iroh looked to the two twin sisters standing next to them.

"Oh! These are our new friends, Ahna and Akna!" Ikki said. "I can't remember which is which. They both look the same. Almost identical. Their dad died. He is Korra's uncle, so that makes them her cousins. But they said it was going to end soon. This war! And all the survivors are going to be okay."

"It's true," said Ahna, while Akna completed with, "We can feel it in the air," they smiled up at him. Iroh was confused.

"Can you tell me where she is? Your Aunt Lin?"

"In the hospital! She was killed by the SPORE but then she came back to life."

"Unfortunately, she is going in and out of consciousness, but her vitals are stabilizing, so we think she will be okay," said one of ONI's doctors as Iroh walked to Lin and Tyko's room. "The other has suffered severe burns and broken bones, few concussions, but he is going to survive as well."

"Good to hear," Iroh said. Lin lied in the hospital bed, her face still caked with blood and dirt. A large bandage wrapped around her stomach. Tenzin, his wife, and Jinora stood around the bed, holding Lin's hands. Thankful for her continual sacrifices.

"She has always been there for us," Tenzin said. "She has served this family and saved us countess times. She has always helped us, served us, when we truly needed it, sacrificing everything, even herself, more than once so that we may live. Our well-being ad happiness matters to her more than anything. She is truly a guardian angel, and a best friend."

Iroh waited in silence as the family kept company the unconscious heroine. "I'm sorry for interrupting," he said after a few minutes. "I came as fast I heard."

"It was over in just a few minutes," Mako said, who had been standing near the window next to Tyko's bed. There were several other beds in the room as well as more wounded soldiers were brought back and treated. Sydney rushed in with trays of doctor's tools and placed them next to a patient while she started treating a wound on another patient's chest

"What are you doing?" Mako asked.

"Anything I can to help. There are only a few doctors around here. They asked me for my assistance, so I've just been preparing and moving people for surgery so they can get back on their feet faster. There's talk of evacuating the city."

"Yes, that is why I have come…," Iroh said.

"Bombs are in stock, again!" Yelled Bolin as he arrived in Lin's rooms with O-Ren. "Got a whole slew of weapons from the courthouse."

"How was it holding up?" Iroh asked.

"Doesn't matter," O-Ren said. "Everyone bailed when they saw the giant SPORE heading their way. Most of their turrets and bunkers had been wiped out anyway at that point, so they cut their losses and are coming back. The walls are nearly pointless now. It's happening. The final stand is going to be here, in the Sanctuaries, just like we said."

"Please," Iroh said, "I need to have a meeting with you all. Well, those who are able to, at least. Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, O-Ren," he said to the group, "I need to meet with you in the train station. We are nearing the end of this war, and I don't know who is going to come out on top. O-Ren is right. This is our last strategy. Our final stand."

Firelord Zuko's hand, stretched up into the sky, burned once again a bright orange flame, perfectly resting in his palm, cradling it as if he was carefully handing it back to the Spirits. Iroh looked at the lit statue through the window of the train station, unsure if he remembered the hand being on fire just earlier that day.

"What is the situation, Iroh?" Mako asked.

"Korra believes the beast is weakening and will open soon. She can't say when, but a small team with tanks and airships have been sent to kill whatever SPORE they can, hopefully lasting just as long as it takes, surviving just long enough, before the monster halts and lets Korra in, but there are a few things we should hammer out that are associated with this. First of all, once CHAOS opens the door to the Spirit World and Korra goes in to fight whatever is causing this, what happens here? I believe the SPORE will keep advancing, so we just need to survive until Korra completes her task. But who knows how long that will be? I think it is best that when she gets to the Spirit World, we begin evacuating people out of the city, eastward to the mountains, especially if opening a link to the Spirit World will halt CHAOS. Likewise, we will need some people to stay in the Sanctuaries and hold back the waves, delay them from getting anywhere else in the world or closer to our movement outward, do whatever until Korra comes back and we've won. I was wondering if you would be able to stay here in the city to help me do that?"

"Sir, Korra has said the beast is weakening?" Mako asked. Iroh nodded. Mako hesitated before speaking again, remembering what Asami had said. Realizing what he had to do. "I think there should be a third party to help Korra. The faster she gets things done inside CHAOS the sooner this fight may end. If she has help…"

"Who would go and help her?" Iroh asked.

"I would. I would go with her," Mako said. He looked at Bolin.

"Me too," Bolin said. "I'll go with her. Mako is right. Any help we can give her will be invaluable. We can stop this thing sooner, and if the two worlds are colliding, then the rules of the physical world may have bled into the Spirit World."

"So?" Mako asked.

"So we might still be able to bend in there. Might as well act like a Spirit if we are in their world, right?" Mako agreed that it could be true. He looked at O-Ren.

"I think I'll stay here and defend the Sanctuaries," O-Ren said. "The explosive earth walls techinique that Bolin and I have been using seems to work well in holding back the SPORE waves. I've always wanted to fight to protect something important, so I feel like this is my duty, today."

"Good to hear," Iroh said, smiling.

"I will stay as well," Tenzin said. "It doesn't take many more people to go with Korra before it becomes a chore for her. It's better for me to stay here, with my family, with Lin and with all the other civilians, and help lead everyone out of the city when the time comes."

"Cool," Bolin said. "New Team Avatar, the original four, back together again! Except, you know, without the Avatar, or Asami. Speaking of which, has anyone heard from her?"

"She's ahead of you two," Tenzin said. "Asami's gone back for Korra. When we met up with her, Jinora and Tyko at one of the outer walls, we armed her with some guns and she separated from us to go back for Korra."

"Her mind is already made up," Mako said, remembering Asami's certainty in her decision to go to the Spirit World with Korra. To be with her through it all. It started to dawn on Mako what might have existed between Asami and Korra. "She is ruthless, and she will not hesitate to do what she thinks is right. Nothing scares her when it comes to the ones she loves."

Suddenly, there was a loud, irregular sounding explosion coming from the skies. Iroh looked in the direction of the airships and saw the tops of the giant SPORE even across the city. All the ships veiled by the sky. He got on his radio.

"Airship captains: Can anyone hear me? Hello? Captain Nagano? Captain Morimoto? What is going on? What is the situation?"

There was no reply from any of the airships.

_Damn._ They waited in silence for a few moments until..

"Sir! They've come for us!" yelled Iroh's radio.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"This is captain Jing-jing, sir. Our airship has been rescued."

"What are you talking about?"

"We were hit badly. The skies are infested with grunts. We had a breach in our ship in the engine room. SPORE were pouring in. We thought it was the end. I grabbed my gun and went down to kill them off when but something crazy happened. We held them back as long as we could, and my men and I were nearly done for as the SPORE encroached but they were stopped. By a waterbender, it seems. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was an angel, they said. We must have been right in the middle of that dark cloud, but somehow a bright light shined through the holes in the ship walls. And she stood there, this angel, and bent all these ice crystals at the SPORE. The grunts that were dangerously close to us she would freeze instead, just using the moisture in the air, and then they were destroyed by some kind of weapon. Like a boomerang that just swept through and took the SPORE out! Every single one. Then, these saviors were gone, out the way they came, but the light still shined through."

"Sir," another radio in the annex sounded off, "Something is out here. Not a SPORE but not one of us. Protecting our airships with firebending. It's the most powerful firebending I've ever seen. I didn't think it is human."

"What did this firebender look like?"

"He was dressed like a firelord."

Iroh moved away from his radio and looked out the window. "What is going on out there?

"Whatever it is, sounds like things are starting to go in our favor," Mako said, tightening his gloves. "Bolin, let's go. If SPORE are starting to fall, it might be a matter of minutes before CHAOS opens up. We are going to be there for Korra."

"There is one last thing you should know before leaving here," Iroh said, looking at Tenzin as Mako and Bolin were getting ready to leave. "Your brother is the one leading this small team of soldiers out toward CHAOS. Soldiers who are very angry at the Spirits, angry because they've lost loved ones today. Frankly, I don't blame them for being angry."

"You think my brother will follow Korra into the beast, don't you?" Tenzin asked. "What has gotten into him, lately?"

"He's seeing the same slaughter that you and I have been seeing. He's witnessed the loss of human life. Death because the Spirits deem us a failure. I don't know what he is going to do once he gets across, or what he should do…"

"You, too, aren't thinking about justifying his plans, are you?" Tenzin asked.

Iroh didn't say anything. Before he could, Korra came on the radio.

"General, something is happening."

The giants approached the building on which Korra was standing, resting as she had just expended a lot of energy bringing down one of the other SPORE giants, but simultaneously trying ot conserve her strength for her inevitable face-off with Daya. She looked onward, disheartened, at the number of remaining giants approaching, even with the help of the airships and the small battle tanks that had just arrived.

Korra had notified the general after seeing the giant SPORE suddenly becoming subdued. Metal wires wrapped tightly around its arms, pulling it to the ground, completely overpowering it. Once the giant got close to the ground, bursts of flame shot through the creature's back, turning it all to black dust. The wires and fire were being emitted from some source occluded by the buildings and debris in front of Korra. This pattern continued.

"I can't see who it is but whoever they are, they sure can bend and they are taking these things down one-by-one." The metal wires shot up and through the giant SPORE this time rather than wrapping around it and pulling it wires simply crashed through the monster's back, destroying all of its crystals and bringing it down easily before Korra even saw any fire shoot at it. She heard a loud laugh and saw a shiny body move through the street.

"Lin?"

Snow started falling from the skies, mixed with the black dust of dead SPORE. Crystal shards raining with the snow. Death from above. Korra couldn't do more but watch in awe as SPORE were being taken down by a powerful force around. The gang of giants Korra had just seen had all fallen to their extinction.

"They are gone…did you send…?" Korra stopped talking when she saw the familiar face fall from the sky and land before her. Her back facing Korra. She was younger, more agile and powerful, but the beauty that her face now possessed was the same beauty Korra had always seen in her waterbending master.

"Katara?"

Katara turned around, slightly surprised, not realizing she had landed so close to Korra. She smiled. Korra blinked several times, wondering if she had already crossed into the Spirit World without knowing it.

"How is this possible?"

The metal wire flew across the air right in front of Korra's face with a _woosh_, hitting the wall next to her, allowing the blind metalbending master to easily pull herself up to the rooftop.

"You think being dead keeps us from fighting?" Toph said with a cocky grin.

Propelling himself upward, the once-again young Fire Lord used his firebending to join the crew, his left eye red and scarred.

"Feels good to get out again," Zuko said in a very low voice.

Korra heard the sound of a young man struggling to climb up to their level. An arm wrapped around the ledge accompanied by the sound of quick breathing. Another arm swung around, holding a boomerang that grappled the edge of the building. The Water Tribe warrior rose to his feet, wobbling, exhausted from his climb.

"You guys and your bending getting up here so easily…" Sokka said with frustration.

"Hello, Avatar," Katara said, smiling. "It's good to see you again."

Each member of the Old Team Avatar stood before Korra, looking like they did in their prime. Even Katara, the last of this group to pass away, looking like she did when she was in her twenties.

"I don't understand," Korra said. "Am I in the Spirit World or am I dead…?"

"Neither," Zuko said. "You are still in the physical world, but the worlds are colliding."

"Yeah, this is what happens when SPORE start collecting souls to get rid of the boundary between the two worlds, but what these dumb Spirits didn't realize was how connected we all are to this world," Toph said. "They forgot that when the boundaries dissolved, that meant _we _could come back too."

"When we died, our souls returned to the Spirit World as Clasma," Katara said. "But even when we had been reduced to just raw energy, the pain of this world, the pain of the ones we loved was able to reach us, to revive the bonds that held us together. We were ourselves again, reconstructed by our ties to this world. We felt a need to return when the chance presented itself, the rules were broken, allowing us come back. You see? Even death cannot take apart the bonds we develop in this world. They are what keep us alive throughout all time."

"I didn't think that was possible…just by…"

"What we lived for is more powerful than anything the Spirits could understand," Zuko said.

"What about the Avatar? What about Aang?"

The four members looked at Korra. "He is here. With us right now. He is you."

"The Old Team Avatar, back together again at last, after being dead and resting in peace for so long," Sokka exclaimed.

They all heard a loud roar coming from CHAOS, who had made its way inward toward the city. The mass of saturated cosmic energy suddenly stopped and yelled out, Korra feeling the pain in its screams as it realized the resistance it was facing. It burned her insides.

"It's happening," Korra uttered. Around CHAOS, the bolts of purple lightning discharged in all directions, cracking the road underneath its feet, pieces being uplifted into the air, revolving around the monster. Chunks revolving like planets around this sun of a beast. Water rose into the air from the bay and followed this revolving pattern around the beast as well. Accelerating in angular velocity as the beast growled louder and louder.

From ground level, Bumi, within his tank, put on a huge smile as he saw what was happening. The combination of water, earth, air, and fire caused by the energy of the beast swirled around its gigantic body, speeding up until it was so thick and fast that only the bright green eyes of the beast could be seen from outside the sphere of elemental destruction. Like an Avatar State.

Katara watched the scene in horror, thinking of the many times she had seen Aang become this same weapon when he angrily went into the Avatar State. Within the storm of revolving earth and air and water, a bright light suddenly glowed from CHAOS's body, consuming its whole frame. At that instant, the swirling mass of elements around it slowed to nearly a complete stop. What revolved around the beast no longer had any resemblance to its components. It looked almost like water in texture, a sphere of water surrounding the beast, but held a greenish-blue color, glowing from the eyes of the beast still piercing through, its low growls travelling from within the bubble it was in to the outside world, anything that had existed near this bubble's boundary reduced to nothing.

"That's it!" Korra and Bumie yelled simultaneously.

The light emitted by CHAOS lit the bubble in which it rested. The beast unleashing the Spirit World for which it had been a vessel. Becoming Transparent. A screen into another world. Korra looked at the glowing sphere where CHAOS had been, the portal to the Spirit World now open, CHAOS's structure, its green eyes, fading away, making room for the Spirits that would soon pass through. The Spirits that would destroy everything left and rebuild the world.

"That's how I get in. That's the portal. It's open," Korra got on her radio, "General Iroh, the portal is open. I have to go in now. I won't have a lot of time."

"Not alone you aren't," said a voice behind Korra. She looked to see Asami, guns in hand, ready to join her.

"You're damn right not alone," Mako and Bolin said, revealing themselves behind the Old Team Avatar.

"Yeah, we're coming with…" Bolin said, before he noticed the faces of the dead standing next to him. "What the…?"

"What are you looking at, pretty boy?" Toph asked.

Bolin stood up straight, terrified. "Me?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Korra asked.

"We are in this with you, Korra," Mako said. He turned to Asami and smiled, making her smile as well. Showing her that she was right in what she said.

"Yeah. Team Avatar stays together," Asami said.

"You're the new Team Avatar?" Sokka asked, looking the members up and down. "Not exactly what I was expecting. Maybe I'm just not used to this new clothing."

"I like them," Zuko said sincerely.

"Yeah, me too," replied Katara.

"Nah, Sokka is right, they look like a bunch of sissies," Toph said.

"Hey, we ain't no sissies, uhm, Ms. Bei Fong, ma'am," Bolin said with little force or confidence.

"Oh yeah? Toughen up and prove me wrong then, why don't ya."

"Well, I can see where Lin gets her...personality from," Mako said.

Korra started to approach her friends but then saw the tanks below continuing toward the portal into the Spirit World.

"Wait, what are they doing?"

Bumi grinned as he got closer to the spherical portal, ready to give his life to deliver to the other world a taste of his army's fury.

"Commander Bumi," Korra's voice came over his radio. "Fall back! Do not advance. It is a portal to the Spirit World!"

"Exactly, Korra. And I have an army here ready to tear that Spirit World apart."

"No, you don't understand. It isn't like this world. You don't know what you are getting into. You could lose all of your men for nothing."

"This isn't for nothing, my friend. This is for you and your friends and everyone you love."

"Commander," a new voice came on, "This is General Iroh. I order you to stop. Do not proceed with this mission. I believe Korra when she says it is suicide. Listen to her and how strongly she feels about this. I beg you, please do not go through with this."

"I'm not solely depending on one person like we always have. Looking to one Avatar to save us all. Repeating history and showing that we cannot defend ourselves," Bumi said. "That we need someone like her with her superhuman abilities to protect us. Well, we don't. We are human, dammit. We are more powerful than any cosmic energy."

"I know, Commander," Korra pleaded. "I know. I know this world wants to relinquish their dependence on an Avatar. That is exactly what I want to do, as well. So please, let me do that. I am the Avatar. Let me relinquish myself. Let me do this one last thing for this world, so that you can be free. So that you will never need me again. So that you will never have a reason to need someone like me to bridge the Spirit World. You'll be free from your eternal rulers who threaten your potential when you choose to follow it, who threaten your life when _they_ decide it has no value, and tell you that you must depend on one person to live." Bumi halted from advancing any further at this. Korra's words struck him. His tank continued forward, but slowly.

Tenzin's voice came on the radio now.

"Bumi, brother, why has it come to this?"

"I have seen so many deaths today. Deaths brought about by our supposed 'rulers', those who were supposed to watch over us, not control us. Not punish us like this for no reason. They'll soon see that they've bred a race stronger than them."

"Yes, they have. Show them that they have. Show them they are wrong about us, and that they have created a race of humans, not of monsters. Do not choose vengeance. Korra is right, there will be no room for peace if you go through with this. You have seen so much death, why would you lead your own men into a place where they would not return?"

"Why should we give ourselves up to one person, Tenzin? Why is she the one who decides whether we live or die as a race? Why don't we decide that, ourselves?"

"She decides because that is how our creators intended it to be. But does that really matter when she is here, fighting to change that? Fighting so that we will be the ones who decide? Fighting for us, even over her own well-being? Does that really matter when Korra would stand up to the Spirits to free us from their rule, knowing that she, too, would be separated from this Earth, from everything she loves, never come back, if she stands up for us against them?"

Bumi's tank was completely stopped now. He had to turn over what his brother had told him for a solid minute. Asami, too, was puzzled by what she heard over her radio, trying to put it out of her mind, hoping she had simply misheard Tenzin.

"You're telling the truth, aren't you," Bumi said, sadly. He looked up at the portal before him, a swirling ball of cosmic energy consuming the roads, ready to spit out the nastiest Spirits he would ever see.

"Brother, please…"

"Fine. The mission is off," Bumi said into his radio, ordering his small team to retreat. "No one goes in there unless it is Korra. I give my trust to her, this once." Bumi began to turn his tank around when he noticed some of his soldiers had done so. They still faced the Spirit World portal. "Men! Are you deaf? The mission is off. Return to base at once. Our next priority is to protect the Sanctuaries from whatever comes out of that portal.

"Not gonna happen, boss," Bumi heard.

"What? I am your Commander. This is for your own safety, men. Do as I say."

"I'm so sorry, but not this time," he heard. Bumi recognized the voices of the two men refusing his orders.

"My friends, please..." Bumi said depressingly, realizing that these two men had both lost several family members to the SPORE that day. "Please, don't go and kill yourselves as well. You are truly my friends. Listen to Korra. That place is dangerous. Unknown. You don't know what you will face. You don't know what is going to happen."

"Oh I know what is going to happen," the two men shut their radios off and put their tanks into gear. "I'm going to tear this place to the ground." The pressed on their gas and went full speed toward the portal, hitting the outer boundary of the bubble and disappearing into the void within.

"No!" Korra yelled. The tanks had plunged into the Spirit World before she could even act. "Bumi! What the hell!? What was that…?"

"Hey, you heard me! I called the operation off, just like you said. Now what is going to happen to my men? Am I going to have to go in there and get those two out?" Bumi turned his tank around toward the portal, but waited for Korra's word.

Korra grabbed her head and fell to her knees, confused, frustrated and panicking at the situation. Trying to find a quick solution but realizing her head was cluttered with thoughts. It was hard enough coming to the conclusion that she would have to go in that Spirit World at all, now several humans were trapped in there. She didn't want these two men to lose their lives, but even more so, she did not want the relationship between human and Spirit to be damaged beyond repair by the two soldiers trying to burn their world down.

Katara brought Korra into a hug, attempting to calm her down. Korra felt safe against her old master. The feel of Katara's clothes reminded her of the South Pole. Of her home. Of her own Mother.

"Avatar, we are here to help. You have called us here. You are in control. Tell us what to do. Finish this battle."

Korra looked to the portal as more SPORE were emerging. Bumi realized the odds against his smaller group of tanks and started to fall back.

"Korra!?" Bumi yelled in the radio. "What is the plan, huh?"

It was up to her to figure this out. She had even convinced the great Commander Bumi to be subject to her orders. She turned to look at the ghosts of the old Team Avatar, as well as the members of the New Team Avatar, looking strangely at their predecessors back from the grave.

"I have to go in there. I have to rescue those men before they get hurt or they make things worse. Old team Avatar: Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko…you have returned to this world for a reason. The cries of your people. I would not doubt that your souls, which have been able to reconstruct themselves just out of your love for these people, can be nearly immune to any attack by these SPORE. That is why I think you should stay here and help the humans guard the Sanctuaries. That is most important right now if this world wants any chance of continuing its existence, while I take care of things in the Spirit World."

Toph made a fist and punched her open palm. "You got it, Aang. We'll show these SPORE the worst time of their lives before they even get close to the humans."

"You can count on us, Aang," Zuko said. "We won't let you down."

Korra looked away from Aang's team as they left, and looked at her own members. "You guys really came here to help me? You realize how dangerous this operation is going to be? Going in to the Spirit World…it is unpredictable what we will encounter in there. Life-threatening…"

"Korra," Asami said. "We're a team, remember? Since the beginning of all of this we've been a team. We aren't just going to let you go alone. We promised to see this through with you until the end. And that is exactly what we are here to do."

"Once you find her, it will be your fight, but until then, we are all going to be there alongside of you and help in any way we can," Mako said.

"Yeah, because really, we are like a family," Bolin said.

Korra smiled and nearly cried. Seeing her friends put aside all fear and accompany her on this mission touched her. "Yeah, we are. I wouldn't have expected anything different, but still…thanks guys," she felt the water start filling up in her eyes, doing everything she could to hold them back. "I love you all."

Korra hugged Mako and Bolin tightly as they stepped to the edge, ready to jump off the ledge of the building and descend into the bubble before them. Into the Spirit World.

"See you girls on the other side," they said, and jumped in together.

"Asami," Korra said. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Whatever happens in here, if I'm not able to make it back, can you promise to try and do something for me?"

Asami hesitated to answer, not wanting to think about what Tenzin had said earlier. "Anything."

"I just want a message to reach my parents. It doesn't have to be from you, but I just want the words to reach them. My own words"

"What is the message, Korra?"

"That I love them. That I am grateful for everything they did, and that I am sorry that I had to do what I had to do to save them." Korra grabbed Asami's hand tightly and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm not going to leave this Spirit World without you, Korra. I'll make sure that you come back. I'll make sure you see the beautiful new world that will be here when this ends. Your beautiful world" Asami looked into the blurry globe of the Spirit World before her. "But yes…I promise. I would promise you anything Korra."

"I know," Korra said. "Thank you."

The two girls jumped hand-in-hand off the ledge of the building and plummeted down the rabbit into the other world. The admittance of the Avatar into the Spirit World emitted a bright blue light into the sky. Tenzin saw this light and knew what it meant. The Avatar returning to the place in which she was created.

"Never com back?" Iroh asked, back at the train station.

Tenzin nodded slowly. "The Spirit Korra must suppress is the very Spirit holding her together as a human. The Spirit responsible for her own creation and continued existence throughout all time."

"The Avatar cycle?" Iroh asked.

"Yes. It will be broken. Korra...knows this. And yet, it did not stop her. She has struggled with this destiny, but she knows that it is the only way. She has accepted it. Everything that Korra has seen during this ordeal- this beautiful world, her family, the ones she loves-it will be the last time she will ever see them again. But Korra presses on...for us."

_Our protector. A guardian angel. A best friend._

The bright light faded.

"It's time we go, Iroh. We have a call to answer. The future of these people rests with us."

**/*This chapter was tough. The old team coming back to help I thought was cool and made sense since the worlds are combining, and the old and new series comes together for an ultimate battle of survival. They call her Aang on purpose because she is the embodiment of of all the avatars, and aang was the one they all knew so they see him. I also want Lin and Korra to be paralleled. Korra fights for the humans as a Spirit, but Lin is almost her reflection and fights as a human, but sacrifices the same thing so that the humans can live.*/**


	60. The Spirit World

**/*A long chapter. Thanks for reading :3 Next three (maybe a fourth short one) chapters I am going to post at once. So that'll be it for this story with my next post probably week after next. Got work and stuff due for school and I gotta graduate college n all... :D.*/**

-The Spirit World—

_I just wanted to visit you one last time, while I am here again._

Toph stood next to her daughter's bed while Lin lied unconscious, recovering from her near-death experience just hours ago. She felt it was better not to wake her, as they had already spoken with each other, even if it was in the liminal space between life and death. Toph held her hand, feeling her pulse, the life still present within her. Her daughter's incredible strength that was able to bring her back from death

_I have always been proud of you, Lin. _

Toph bent the space-rock bracelet off of her arm that she was given as a girl, shaped it back into its round form, and placed it on Lin's wrist.

_I know you don't need me. I know that everything that you have done, you have done alone. But I need you. So please, keep this, as a reminder, that even in death, I still can be with you. That those of us who have passed on are not truly gone. The things we keep dear to us, the most important things that bind us to this world, the things that remind us of those we lost, and the people we have touched, allow us to preserve those lives, and overcome the hand of death. _

Toph heard the sound of footsteps outside and left the room unnoticed to return to her team of old friends outside the outer walls to the Sanctuaries.

Sokka was fiddling with one of the police radios. He looked up as Toph returned.

"She is going to be okay," Toph said, smiling. "I will make sure of it." Sokka hugged her, which Toph accepted for only a few seconds until she pushed him off. "Alright, enough of that."

"Glad to hear it, though," Sokka said. He picked up the radio. "The SPORE are fast approaching. Korra's orders were to stay on the boundaries of the Sanctuaries and help them in defending the citizens. The way I see it, they will have a tougher time taking apart _our_ souls, being dead and all, you know? So we should act as a buffer to allow the humans to set up more defenses and evacuate the refugees." The radio started buzzing. A deep voice came through, transmitting a message.

Sokka looked at Katara. "Would you like to speak to your son again?" he asked.

From the other end, Tenzin sent out a widespread message to anyone still left beyond the Sanctuary walls, informing them that evacuations to the East were taking place, and all defenses were moved to the Sanctuaries.

The familiar female voice came through to him. "Aye aye, Tenzin We'll be holding back the waves while you get people to safety."

Tenzin was shocked. Firstly because someone had actually replied from beyond the walls, but secondly because he recognized the voice.

"Who…who is this?"

"You know who this is, Tenzin."

Iroh looked beyond the statue of his grandfather and saw, perched on the walls, four young individuals, one of them dressed like a warrior from the Fire Nation. The attire Iroh had grown so accustomed to in his youth. He knew he was not mistaken in what he was seeing. It was as if the statue before had come to life and was now summoning all of his strength to protect the human race.

"They've come back for us, Tenzin. They've returned to help us," Iroh said. He looked at Tenzin.

"They're coming, my son," Katara said. "We will fend them off as long as we can. Please, hurry."

Tenzin had so many questions, but knew he could trust this voice. The voice he had always trusted. He quickly left to find his family, wondering if his old Airbending master was also out there, defending his city.

She was. Korra and Asami descended slowly and calmly down into the Spirit World, suddenly finding themselves standing in the middle of a vast and dense forest. As their surroundings materialized, they felt not as if they had fallen from some portal but had merely stepped into this other world. Bolin and Mako turned to see the two girls, mystified by the strange feeling the place evoked.

There was no sun. The sky was cloudy and burned a bright pink color which would periodically change to a dark blue. Tentacles of some floating Spirits occasionally revealed themselves through the thick clouds, so thick were the clouds that they looked as if they could be held in one's hand. The tentacles implied a massive entity watching them from above the skies. And from the looks of it, more than one. The forest was populated with all kinds of trees ranging from extremely tall and skinny to the massive and thick. Each one bloomed flowers which glowed like bright crystals, reflecting the changing colors of the sky to produce a scene of vibrant pink and blue in altering and beautiful combinations. The team couldn't help but stare in awe, wondering how such destructive forces could come from a place so beautiful.

Bolin watched his hands as he moved them through the air. Mako held his up to his ears as they unceasingly popped. Bolin shrieked, seeing his hand smear across his line of vision as he waved it before his eyes. His vision of moving things becoming blurred.

"This place feels weird," Bolin said. He couldn't decide whether the sensation was more similar to being really high up in the air or being deep under water. The air felt much thicker, like they were walking through a blanket.

These sensations started hitting Korra and Asami as their bodies became accustomed to the new environment. Asami felt her breathing slowed and could feel it moving all the way down her throat, into her lungs, and back out again, like a million little particles moving through her.

"This is the Spirit World," Korra said, "But it's mixing with whatever is left of the real world. That's why you aren't dead yet. But we don't have a lot of time. The level of Cosmic Energy in this place is so high."

"Is that why it feels like such higher pressure here?" Asami inquired, feeling like her head was about to explode.

"Yeah, the collision of this place and earth acts as a buffer to the effects of all this energy," Korra said, pulling her hood up over her face. "But soon, if we stayed long enough, it would just slowly start peeling apart your cosmic makeup. That would be your soul, and you wouldn't be left with anything after that."

Bolin looked at his hands, a scared stare, watching them, wondering if he would see them start to disappear like Korra said. "Uh…maybe we should hurry then?"

"But go where? I don't see those soldiers anywhere?" Mako said, looking around at the many different trees reflecting the lights in all directions. Even though it felt as though they had entered this world from above, no one in the group recalled being above these trees and seeing the world that rested beyond. As if they had landed in a dark void and the world just materialized around them.

"That is either a bad thing or a worse thing," Korra said. She looked up and saw, within the skies alternating in color, auroras which would periodically glow vibrantly as if orbs of light were travelling across it. The energy keeping the portals open, the white orbs of energy being transmitted. Transmitted from some all-powerful source within the Spirit World. "Those lights above us. We'll follow those. They'll lead us to her, and if we are lucky, to the soldiers as well. That'll be our compass if we get lost. Those lead out of this world, so when the time comes to get out of here, follow those lights home. Just keep an eye out. For the soldiers and for Spirits. I don't know what they are planning to do to us now that we are here so be prepared."

They started walking through the forests. The branches and bushes seemed to sense their presence and appeared to move out of the group's way. Each member's body was trying to reach a new equilibrium in this new world and its dramatically different levels of free cosmic energy. The energy intensified the Clasma embedded in Asami's arm. Although her sleeve was covering it, she knew the vials under her skin were glowing brightly.

Mako started to develop a heightened sense of paranoia. He felt as though the team was being constantly watched, but upon looking around him he saw nothing more than the trees. The deathly stare of the trees, each one starting to form its own deformed face. Bolin, just in front of him, rubbed his hands together hoping to hasten the process of calming his now heightened senses. He stepped in a puddle of water which produced a splash, tiny beads of water floating into the air, but they did not fall back into the puddle. They simply rested in midair, around his stopped foot. Free from the small body of water beneath them.

Korra stepped out into a small clearing and noticed tank tracks in the ground leading slightly off course. She looked ahead, through the tiny holes in the thick tree branches and saw the tops of a much larger hill around them, indicating that they were high up. "I think this is them. Come on," Korra said. She followed the tracks, occasionally looking up at the auroras to get a sense of direction.

The Team came to the edge of a very steep slope. They were very high up and were now overlooking an expansive valley. A river spanned the center of the valley. Korra followed the river with her eyes until it disappeared into the pink and blue of the clouds at the horizon. But upon closer inspection, she saw that there was no distinct horizon. In the distance, the sky actually touched the ground, and high up in the clouds beyond, she still saw the tops of plateaus and mountains, as if they were floating. The auroras above followed this river, and the tracks did as well.

"The world just seems to disappear in that cloud," Mako said.

"The tracks lead down this hill, though," Korra said. "I'm willing to bet those soldiers are down there somewhere." Korra started making her way down the hill without warning. The rest followed. The openness of the valley made them feel exposed, caught, watched. The mountains surrounding them became towering sentinels as they reached the very bottom of the valley. Intimidating the team. Asami felt as though she was trespassing, and the mountains and trees and water were telling her to turn back. To follow the auroras back to the real world. That a great danger awaited her if she continued. A horrible truth at the end of this river.

They continued through the valley, following the river to where the sky met the ground. Bolin watched the water flow down the river and suddenly could not remember which way it was supposed to be flowing. He bent down to touch it, not trusting his vision in this place, and found that it was flowing backward, going the opposite direction from the way they came. But that meant that it would have to be flowing uphill, which didn't make sense to him. At first, he attributed it to the fact that he was in a different world with different rules, but he was still bothered by the fact that he was sure it was flowing the opposite, correct way earlier when he saw it, which was why it did not stand out to him.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Do you remember which way we were going? Did we somehow get turned around or something?"

"Why?" Mako asked.

"The river is flowing that way, but I don't remember if it was going that way before."

"We couldn't have gotten turned around," Asami said. "We stayed on the same side of the river this whole time, didn't we?"

Mako looked at the riverbank and realized something they had overlooked. "When did the tracks stop?"

The Team looked around them and noticed they were no longer following any tracks. The dirt ground and grass on which they were standing looked untouched. No on remembered when the tracks stopped. Korra looked back reluctantly, not wanting to believe that they had somehow gotten lost. The path was so simple that she couldn't believe they somehow were led astray. The multi-colored clouds were much closer to the ground now and were obstructing the auroras. She could no longer see the hill behind them from which they had come. The clouds had descended upon the ground and blocked her view.

Mako's paranoia increased. He felt the trees were responsible for tricking them. Messing with their heads. He saw the branches, sharp and shaped like arms with long claws. Just like a tall person. Something moved through them, Mako saw him, but he couldn't believe it.

"Agh," Bolin exclaimed, "How did we get lost?"

"We aren't lost," Korra said. "We just have to keep going. Just keep following the river, come on, let's go. They can't scare us like this."

"What if we are just going in circles, though?" Asami asked.

"We aren't, I know it. That is just what they want us to think."

"Mako, let's go," Bolin said to Mako, who looked like he was in a trance staring into the woods. "What is it?"

"I…nothing. I thought I saw something."

Korra walked closely to the water, watching to make sure it never changed directions on them, and figuring out why if it ever did. The pink and blue colors of the world they had grown accustomed to slowly changed into a bright yellow, like the color of a desert. As if a setting sun was in the sky making everything around them emit a golden glow. The river started to change, but not directions, just the velocity of the water flowing decreased dramatically. The sound of rushing water was gone, and everything became eerily silent. The green and brown forest floor they had been walking on was now dirt and rock as if the forest and river around them started decaying.

Mako hated the fact that he did not pursue the figure he saw in the woods. He knew he recognized him. But Korra wanted to get a move on, forcing him to abandon. He looked at her up ahead, leading the group into nowhere. Behind him was just more of the dirt and desert environment he was now walking through, as if they had been in this area for miles. No evidence of the luscious forests they had just passed through.

_How does she know exactly where to go, now? There are no more tracks or auroras or anything. She knew this place just as well as we did when she got here,_ Mako thought.

_So then don't trust her…_the voice of another spoke.

Mako stopped, hearing this unmistakable voice.

"Who's…" he said quietly, before being met with a harsh _shhh._

_She will hear you._

"Who will…?"

_The one who took me from you, my son. The one who takes everyone. Who only lives to harm and kill and bring darkness to the world._

"…Father?"

Mako was staring at Korra as the answer to his question. Her fists clenched. Her long, shining blade, the hood covering her head. Like a thief. Like a murderer.

"Guys," Mako said. The Team stopped and turned to face him, all except Korra, who couldn't bear to, and he knew why. "I don't think we should keep going."

Korra started trembling. Her heart raced at an extremely fast rate. Scared, hoping she was wrong about what Mako now realized, but knowing that they were both thinking the same things.

"I know you are all aware of it, too," Mako said, looking at Bolin and Asami.

"I think…I am," Asami said. "I can't really understand it."

"Stop it!" Korra said.

"Stop what? Stop us from learning the truth, Korra? You murderer," Mako accused.

"She's tricked us," Bolin said calmly and sadly, as if something so obvious was just dawning on him. "She is just going to continue this way and we are her next victims, aren't we?"

"No. I swear. It isn't what it seems," Korra pleaded.

"How can we trust you after what you have done to us? Was this your plan to bring us to you? Are we just going to be your guinea pigs to die so that you can take control of this place?" Asami said.

Korra backed away, horrified, not because her teammates were beginning to turn on her and speak such strange words, but because she truly believed their words. What they said was true, and they had every reason to hate her. Korra knew it. She thought about how she had tried to hide it from them for all these years, that she was only in this for herself, to gain her own power at the sacrifice of others. That she had been the murderer in each of these individuals' lives, the one that brought them all together here, controlling their fates since they were infants.

"I'm not just going to stand here and let the one who killed my parents get away with this," Mako said, as fire shot out of his fists into the dirt ground in anger.

Korra would have thought that Mako was delusional, if she hadn't had the memory right in front of her. As much as she didn't want to see it, there she was, standing on the sidewalk in the middle of the city as she looked now, but it was years ago, towering over the two little boys cowering in fear as their parents stood up to Korra, petrified, helpless compared to her. She laughed at their feeble attempt to slay her. In her all-powerful state, the puny mortals could not even touch Korra. They shot fire and earth, which she just pushed aside and easily swept their lives away, leaving the two young boys to rot in the darkness.

_No. Stop. I don't want to see that anymore. Not again._

Korra couldn't escape the memory. She stumbled away from the group, each member, even Asami, who cocked her pistols, ready to kill her for being so cruel. To get revenge for what they truly now remembered Korra doing to them. Believing that Korra had been the one all along responsible for taking their closest loved ones away from them.

Korra couldn't stop seeing herself, laughing in a deranged manner as she watched her victims, Bolin and Mako's mother and father, burning before them in this memory. It was a pleasure to her in the memory, but a horror to see again now. She pushed it out of her mind, but a new one just replaced it. A new memory that weakened her limbs to recall, forcing her to crawl away from the group into the mist of the Spirit World. The street she had witnessed before was replaced with the inside of a large house, a mansion, blazing in red and orange and blue flames. Korra stood in the main hall, appearing just like she looked now, her hood covering her face. Realizing the truth, that she had always been this way, that any memory she had of growing up in the Southern Water Tribes, of having a family and coming to Republic City, was completely false. That she was nothing more than an assassin sent by the Spirits. Nothing more than Oni, and that Oni held the young woman by the neck, draining the life from her with every second as the victim begged Korra not to harm her daughter.

Korra looked from woman in her hands, the woman that was slowly dying, to the young, black-haired girl standing on the steps, holding on to the railings tightly, like a stone, stopped by fear by what she was seeing. The flames encircling her like dancing demons.

"Mommy?" she said, tears in her eyes.

Korra screamed while watching this happen, but only heard laughter, watching the Oni smile as the young child's mother fell to the ground, dead. She remembered specifically doing the things that she was seeing. She remembered standing in that mansion. She could even recall what it felt like to hold that woman in her hands, to feel her life being drained from her. Even the sight and joy of seeing the much younger Asami cowering was coming back to her, as if she had forgotten it. Buried it deep in her mind because now the thought of it made her sick. Made her want to die.

Blinded, disoriented, Korra could not get a grip on what was going on. The world around her was constantly changing back and forth. Like going in and out of sleep: into the dream of her memories, and out into the Spirit World. The transitions made her forget what was actually real and what was not. Confused about where she was and where she was supposed to be. One second she is standing in a dark room, standing behind a chair, hidden in the shadows. The woman in the chair being tended to by her young daughter, the daughter that Korra knew, the daughter who couldn't bear to see her own mother falling into this sick state but refusing to abandon her. Korra nearly cried seeing the scene, but remembered her feelings then, watching Lin lose hope, feeling the ordeal to be nothing but pathetic.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Lin asked, seeing Korra in the shadows standing behind her dying mother's chair.

Korra just smiled and touched Toph's forehead, poisoning her even more, fueling the disease that she had started.

"Please stop, you demon…"

The next second, Korra feels the dirt beneath her hands, the occasional, shallow pools of water. She sees the tall trees around her, leafless, branches hanging down like hair and arms.

The light from the sky casting shadows on these trees, making them look like monsters coming after her, ready to kill her for what she had done. Korra crawled across the ground and found a puddle of water, dipping her face in, hoping to fully wake up from this horrible nightmare.

She pulled her head out and saw the reflection. The reflection of Korra staring back at her.

_This isn't a nightmare, Korra,_ she told herself, as a new memory was played for her. She recalled the feeling of electricity charging up in her hands, directing the static discharge toward the husband and wife who desperately wanted her daughter to be safe. Giving themselves up as sacrifice to Korra, who deemed these people to be too much of a risk to be back in society. Too worthless of lives to exist.

_This is the truth. This is who you are. You are…a horrible monster. An Oni. You deserve to die…_

The visions changed. New memories emerged before her in the mirror of the water. Memories she felt, but did not remember happening. There was her, standing alone on an infinite plane. Only destruction around her. Only the remnants of the dead. The ashes of an old race slaughtered and burned. Devoid of all life, for she had taken it all away from the humans. Taken away their ties to this world, their ties to each other, their purpose. Dissolving it, leaving nothing but an empty, lifeless slate where she could build a new world.

The memory suddenly ended, and Korra just sat there, once again looking at her own reflection, her own face, hearing nothing but the eerie silence of the ghostly world until it was broken by the cocking of a gun.

"Do it," Korra said, still looking at the water, knowing the sound had come from Asami's gun. She felt them behind her, her three 'friends', now her reapers. She kept her back to them. "I deserve it. I don't belong here. I can't go on knowing what I have done." Korra knew they were prepared to take from Korra what Korra had taken from them. Korra did not turn around, she had no right to face them when they killed her for what she did. No right to look at them with her tainted eyes. So she stared at the ugliest thing imaginable to her at that moment.

Into the water at her own face.

Korra suddenly felt her insides sink, pulling down every emotion she was feeling at that instant. Any sadness. Any anger. Everything was weighted and brought down to a completely neutral level. Korra didn't understand. She felt no emotion now. A voice whispered in her ear, not directed to her, as if it was something which was quickly passing by. It said:

_That face…_

Korra didn't feel Asami's bullet. Mako's fire. Bolin's rocks. She felt nothing, because nothing happened. As if her killers were never even behind her, she started thinking they would not be there if she turned around. She had stepped out of the real time, and into some liminal space outside of what was actually going on. The light dimmed dramatically around her, and the trees seemed to be moving.

One of the trees arched over, and Korra concluded it to be no tree at all. Its branches twitched and moved like legs as the entity bent over and stretched out toward her like an accordion, dripping with saliva and mucus, the appearance of a giant, hideous slug. Korra saw the horrifying scene, but something was keeping her emotions subdued within her. She expressed no fear, no surprise. She just watched as the giant slug-like creature approached her and stuck its head through the darkness quickly.

A human face suddenly appeared before Korra, smiling. Korra was confused but did not feel the need to react at all. Before her now, a gigantic Spirit with the body of a slug and the face of a human. The head shuttered a giant eyelid, veiling the face completely. When it reopened, there was a different face. A woman's face with long black hair. It spoke:

"It's been a while, Avatar," the Spirit said.

Korra didn't speak.

The Spirit continued, "You always were a difficult one to surprise. I suppose you are accustomed to seeing hideous things." The Spirit blinked again, and again a new face appeared when the eyelid reopened. A fat man's face with a beard and mustache. The voice remained the same. "Your face changes each time we meet. You and I might as well be the same being. Many different faces, but still the same, one entity."

Korra analyzed this Spirit, trying to figure out which one it was. She knew very little about the actual Spirits themselves. But maybe one of the previous Avatars had come across this. She tried to connect to something that would help her as the Spirit kept talking.

"Oh. But I see that you are different. You are not a just another link in this infinite chain. No, you seek to break it. You seek to free yourself from it. You think you are different, that you are not just a different face of one single entity. Unique, yes? It is quite adorable."

The memories started to play before Korra again. She tried not to react to them, but she found it difficult, the scenes replaying in her head, of her standing over the dead of her innocent victims. Mako and Bolin's parents. Sydney's parents. Lin's mother. Asami's mother…

"If anything," the Spirit said, "I would say you are closer to your definition as the Avatar than any of your predecessors have been for thousands of years. Nothing but an Assassin for Daya, an ambassador that would one day lead the human race to its destruction for its failures. Becoming the very thing you believe you are not?"

Korra looked up and calmly said, "No."

"No? There is really no room for arguing here, Avatar," the eye closed. A Water Tribe girl's face appeared now with the same voice. "You have already proven to this world that you have come to fulfill Daya's wishes. Her wishes to end this race. Your memories do not lie. They are truer than ever before. All those people whose lives were taken at your hands. You have long since begun the process of ending this race."

The memories were there, just like the Spirit said. Memories flashing quickly before her. Random memories. Thousands of lives lost, murders, with her responsible. Happily responsible. Throughout all time, Korra saw herself steal, destroy, kill. What mystified her was how she was the same age as she was now in all these memories.

"How is this possible?" She asked. "How did I do all this? Why am I just now remembering?"

"The Avatar is timeless. You have false memories to cover these true ones. You have been this way since the beginning. You had no birth, no childhood, and you will have no death."

The memories continued to flash, but one caught her attention more than the others. A memory that seemed impossible to her. For not only was Korra in the memory as the killer, but she was also in it as the victim as well.

Korra watched herself charge up the lightning bolt, recalling the electric feeling in her hands, and aim it for…herself. Something was wrong with the scene. It could not have been real. Korra remembered this event two ways. She was there. The one memory, this one, of her shooting the lightning bolt at herself on the ground. The other memory was of her as the victim watching herself shooting that same lightning bolt toward her, but only to have Naga sacrifice herself for Korra, which did not happen in the other memory.

_How can this be? _

"The memories…," Korra said. "They aren't true."

"Are you certain about that?"

"They can't possibly be true. They've been implanted…I remember. I remember that day more than any other day. I could not have been the killer, for I was the victim as well. I was the one who died, but I was also the one who killed according to that memory." A contradiction. A fundamental contradiction, suddenly bleeding a truth into all the other memories Korra suddenly had. Making her question their validity. Trying hard to remember what had really happened to her friends' parents. Slowly peeling away at the newly constructed lies to get back to the truth. "They are all wrong. I remember that day. I was not the killer, because I survived. Because my best friend, Naga, gave her life for me. I would never forget what I felt that day. No lies can cover that up. It was Chief Qu. That memory, you just replaced Qu with me…You did this to me? You made me believe…that I did all those terrible thing? You gave me those fake memories."

"What does remembering even mean but to bring one's mind to an awareness of something? You say I gave you false memories, but when was it absolutely stated that memories must occur in the past? Who is to say that those memories are not from the future?"

"That is impossible."

"Impossible for all but a timeless being. An entity whose existence defies the effects of time. Something like you, Avatar."

"What are you saying?" Korra started feeling emotion within her again as her old memories were slowly uncovered under the layers of lies, hoping that the same was happening to her friends.

"You have come here to destroy the all-powerful Daya, the central force of this world. So that humans may be free? So that your line of Avatars will finally end and the Spirits of the Dead that are forced to keep you in existence can rest? That is a noble endeavor, but it will not be yours today. You will not finish this battle and let yourself fall into the abyss of nonexistence. Daya will fall, but you, Avatar, you will rise. The creation overtaking the creator. You will find her power, and it will consume you, and you will feel no choice but to take her place. To keep your eternal eye on the physical world. Controlling it. Intervening in it. Removing the impurities and forcing the people to do your will in fear that you will take away their right to life, you being the most powerful entity in all of existence! A human race to continue to influence only to remind yourself of your own power," the Spirit yelled, it blinked into a monkeys face, screeching loudly, then back into a man's face. It spoke with such enthusiasm for this idea.

"I won't let that happen."

"The choice will not be simple, Avatar, when the time comes. You will see that I am right in what needs to be done."

Korra was confused as to why this Spirit wanted Korra to succeed and then take Daya's place. "Why? Why do you want to see Daya gone? Replaced?"

The Spirit turned away from Korra and slithered around her without making eye contact, its face blinking into several different faces periodically. "Daya took something from me, and in the end, she was wrong to do so. She knows it, and I lie in this place, this damp and dirty place, powerless, waiting for her to get what she deserves for her mistake."

"What did she do?"

"Thousands of years ago, I was once the most powerful Spirit in this world, rivaling Daya's power over the cosmos. The fabrication of the second world, prior to your world, gave me hope for a perfect race. The connection those people had with the Spirit world gave them a very close interaction with the cosmos, allowing them to thrive while paying their homage to their creators. At that time, I was not the Spirit you see now. I had a strong body, a beautiful body. A beautiful face. I cherished that form that I used to have. My hands emitted energy I was so saturated with raw power. So much power that I decided to intervene in the second world. To enforce the laws on those who tried to evade them.

"I went into that world and simply plucked those who did not belong. The wrongdoers. The nonbelievers. The free-thinkers. Easily. A messenger from the Spirit World, I even had to paint my face, a coating, armor, to protect my beautiful face from the tainted eyes of the humans. I existed to make them afraid. Live in fear that I would come for them, and that fear resulted in a world without violence. But soon the people rebelled, and their world was wiped away like the one before it. I eagerly awaited the next world, but before I could go in to continue my work, _she _found me, and told me that I must stop. That I could no longer do what I had been doing.

"I refused her orders, but I underestimated her power. Daya took everything from me. My power over the cosmos. My Adonis form. Even my face. My beautiful face. She gave me the form of this hideous creature. Unable to do anything. But I was able to at least retain one power. Now I sit in the depths and shadows of the Spirit World, luring people to me, stealing face after face, none of them good enough to be my old face. Not even close. They are all such ugly faces!" the Spirit yelled.

Korra nearly shrieked, but covered her mouth, finally realizing what had happened to her. Why her emotions were automatically subdued around this Spirit.

_Koh: the Face Stealer_

Korra began to tremble now that she understood what she could lose if she even showed the slightest emotion. Koh slithered and looked up to the sky. Korra was not prepared to speak to Koh, but her hand fell and hit the object tied to her belt. Amon's mask. She pulled it off and put it on her own face, desperately hoping it could act as a barrier.

Koh spoke again. "But Daya was wrong. And she knows it. She said what I was doing was wrong, but she soon learned that there was no other way to control her people. The humans. They are born into darkness and only live to destroy. They will all kill themselves if they are not controlled. If they do not live in fear of us, their rulers. That is why you must take Daya's place. She has failed, and you will fulfill her role. You will be the ultimate ruler. You have immersed yourself in the human race, and so only you know how to make them succumb to us."

Korra felt her breathing increase. Her teeth clenching. No longer fear. Anger. "No. I won't do it. I promise you, Koh. I am here to set the humans free. They deserve to be free. You cannot even grasp the concept of the human. You know nothing."

"You will do this, Avatar. It is embedded within you, as Daya's creation. You will become the supreme ruler."

"No! Stop it! Stop trying to control me, I'm not your Avatar, I'm not your supreme ruler. And I'm not afraid of you. I'm not!"

With this display of anger, the Spirit shrieked. Out of its body, a long hand shrouded in darkness stretched quickly toward her face, only taking a second to reach it. The hand, ready to steal her face, collided with her mask, breaking it into two pieces, knocking it off Korra's face and causing her to fall backward onto her back. She opened her eyes, realizing that she still had them, and the rest of her face as well. Koh cried out in pain as it looked at the mask pieces on the ground.

"That face. That face!"

The hand lightly touched it. Korra rolled over and quickly drove her sword into the Spirit's arm, causing it to cry out even louder.

"What face!?" Korra asked angrily, unafraid to show her emotions to Koh.

"This face. This is not your face…this is my face. How did you get this…!?"

Korra looked from the Spirit to the mask that Amon had once worn. Koh's voice now sounded as if it had so much sadness in it.

"How is that possible?" Korra asked. "This is just a mask."

"Has she done this to mock me? That is the same way I wore my face into the physical world to deliver my punishments to the humans…"

"This mask belonged to a man who developed the ability to block chi permanently. What do you know about it?"

"He was a messenger, just like me, for Daya. While you and your past Avatars concerned themselves with the plight of mankind, this man must have listened to our cries for help. Wearing the very same face that I wore into your world. To begin the process of its punishment for all it had done wrong. Realizing that I was right, and that she was wrong for doing what she did to me. Daya pleaded this new messenger to take your bending away, to embrace his powerful bloodbending powers and use it to do her will, to take from you the very thing which makes you the Avatar, and the only thing keeping her completely locked and suppressed in that statue. But he misinterpreted his mission. His goal to take you down was coupled with the idea of a new world where human ability triumphed over the powers of the Spirits. And he got himself killed."

"His ideas were right," Korra said. "His vision is the very world we are fighting for now. A world where we can finally be free to realize our potential as humans, not as the gods you have made us to be. We are not gods. He tried to show us this truth, but in the process, he was corrupted, by your world, by her, as she gave him the mission to destroy me, as his own bending warped his morality and turned his noble quest for change in the world into an act of terrorism. It was not the humans that turned him into what he was, it was you, the Spirits, who pushed him into embracing his bending rather than his ideas as power which only led to the destruction of others and himself. We could have seen a much more peaceful world had his ideas united us rather than polarized us, but in the end, your intervention twisted his goals because you seek punishment rather than peace. It is you that is trying to prevent that peace from happening. A peace where we can be free and prosper together with our own ideas and beliefs. No. You must implant your own onto us. You act against us when _you_ decide we are in the wrong. Had it not been that way, he could have helped bring about that world. He could have shown us what we are truly capable of without the aid of the Spirits. But you…you killed him." Korra stepped on the mask and shattered it into a million pieces.

Koh pulled his arm away and back into his body. A new face appeared, a face painted white with red lips. As he slithered back, Korra realized she was in a different place than before. Trees surrounded her again, and she stood on grass. Auroras glimmered across the sky changing from pink to blue.

"The answers may not be as clear as you think, Avatar. You won't find it to be so simple when you reach her," Koh pointed out toward the place from which the auroras were being emitted. Before her, down a small hill, Korra saw the metal blocks rising up from the ground like towers. The green grass and trees ending and turning into a collection of cold metal. The sky above this metal dark and rumbling with thunder. The metal blocks ranged in sizes like the trees. An artificial forest. Lightening conducted across the tops of the blocks. At the center of this cluster, a very tall structure, towering over all the blocks beneath it, stretching into the skies.

Daya's Lair.

"However, I can assure you that just getting to her won't be so easy for you," Koh said. "I'm sure we will meet again, Avatar. One way or another. We will meet again."

Koh disappeared. She looked to the tall tower before her, not more than a mile down the hill. She knew what he meant. Whatever it took to gain access to Daya's Lair, it would not be easy. And it was about to be made even more difficult now that Daya would have Spirits defending her sanctuary.

But Korra had help. She had friends. And she turned to face them, her three friends behind her in the woods, still ready to attack her, to kill her. Bolin holding his rock, Mako preparing his fire. Asami aiming her gun. They made eye contact with her, and the weapons were slowly lowered as they realized the truth. As they were sickened by what they had wanted to do to Korra just minutes ago.

Korra ran to them and hugged her friends.

"Korra," Asami said. "I don't know what happened. I was so sure that you…"

"It's okay…," Korra said, trying to console her friends broken with disgust for themselves. "They were trying to turn you against me. But you broke free.

"I'm sorry, Korra," Mako said sincerely. "Please, can you forgive us?"

"Of course…I had the same memories, too. They were horrifying."

"Yeah, I don't think I could handle that again. That was a rough ride of strange emotions," Bolin said.

"You guys are my closest friends," Korra said. "I need you now. We've reached it. The end of the line. The source of everything that is happening awaits me in that tower," Korra said, pointing to the skyscraping building ahead of them, beyond the metal terrain.

"What about the soldiers?" Asami asked.

"I think they are down there, at the threshold of her lair."

"Ok, then," Bolin said. "We'll go down there, take the soldiers back home and you go kick some Spirit butt."

"I think I need your help with something else, too," Korra said. The darkness contained in the branches of the trees above them started to glow green. The unmistakable green color. "Come on let's go," they started running for the tower as the green color descended upon them, revealing them to be the eyes of the SPORE.

Even as the small grunts trailed them toward the city of metal, Korra knew that Koh was referring to a much more powerful defense. Mako and Bolin held off the grunts with their bending, which seemed to be enhanced rather than degraded in this world. Mako could sweep entire frontlines of the SPORE and Bolin could uplift the biggest chunks of land. Asami noticed this enhancement, and wondered if she would be even more powerful than she would have been on Earth if she released the Clasma within her. Likewise, Korra realized this, too, and was able to simply detonate large clusters of grunts with her control over cosmic energy.

"The wave is diminishing," Asami said as they ran toward the center tower. They found themselves running through a maze formed by the metal walls of the raised blocks around them. Forcing them to turn left and right to traverse across the environment as the walls were too high to climb over. The tower was visible from all positions and indicated the general direction they needed to go.

The many grunts chasing after them turned to a few. As Korra ran toward the tower, they were met with a tall metal barrier with no way around it. Korra refused to turn around, and she simply said, "Hold on," as she launched her and her team violently into the air with her similarly enhanced airbending, soaring over the blockade. The few grunts left following them tried stacking themselves on each other to get over the same wall but failed due to so little remaining.

Korra looked from the grunts toward the tower, seeing the aisle in the maze of metal that led to its front gates. The epicenter of the maze. A large, circular platform absent of any of these metal blocks rested before the apparent tower entrance. "There, the soldiers, on that platform by the entrance," Korra said, pointing to the circular platform resting at the foot of Daya's tower. On either side, strung up on poles, the two soldiers hung by their wrists, barely breathing, bruised and beaten up.

Korra started over to them but suddenly stopped, feeling an intense collection of energy nearby. The sound of something massive starting to move toward them from the abyss that lied beyond Daya's tower. Her sensitive cosmic energy nerves going crazy at the size of the army of Spirits approaching.

"We have to hurry."

They reached the platform. Mako and Bolin quickly untied the soldiers from the poles growing out of the ground on either end of the circular platform. Still breathing. Their cuts organized across their faces as if the Spirits responsible were very careful and ornate with their punishments to these two men for infiltrating and trying to tear apart the Spirit World.

Korra walked past the group toward the tower, but realized when she approached that the ground on which she was walking just ended before reaching any kind of entrance. Like an optical illusion, the tower seemed much further away from this perspective. Between her and the tower now, there was a large gap too big for her to jump, and even if she could make it using airbending, there was nowhere to go on the other side. No door. No latch. She would just hit a wall. The tower rose all the way up into the skies, but when Korra looked down, she saw that the tower stretched infinitely downward as well into clouds below her, into what looked like a reflection of itself across a horizon. If she were to fall into this gap, she would drop infinitely into the sky. Another sky below her, making her disoriented about her relative position.

Korra bent down and stuck her hand out over the edge into the gap. Rather than the emptiness she expected, her hand was met with a cold surface, producing ripples that distorted the image of the tower stretching downward. Disoriented the reflection. As if she had touched water that was reflecting the tower. She knew she would be able to walk on it over to the tower, but knew that was not the way in. She felt it was some kind of trap. When she pulled her hand back, she saw that she had left a very small mark on the water-like surface. A fingerprint. It soon disintegrated and Korra felt a rumbling, jolting the ground she was standing on, as if she had awoken something. Korra suddenly realized what must have happened. She walked back to the platform where her friends assisted the unconscious soldiers.

"They must have tried to get across to the tower," Korra said. "It looks as if it drops but it is really just a reflective surface that anyone can walk on. But…I think it is a trap. There is something about that tower that knows when there is an intruder. If the reflection is ever disturbed, it must set of an alarm or something."

"You're saying it set it off for these two?" Asami said, referring to the two soldiers.

"Yeah, they probably figured out that they could walk across. But the thing is, there is nothing over there. There isn't a door or anything. Although, who knows if they even got that far before the Spirits came for them and did…this," Korra said.

"Korra, what is this tower?" Mako asked.

"This is her tower. The entrance to her lair. Daya. The one I have come here for. The one who is causing all of this, and the only one who can stop it. I am a copy of her, so only I can stand up to her…" Korra stared at the platform underneath her, and her words seemed to have more than the obvious meaning to her now.

"But why is it rigged so that anything that comes to it will just get slaughtered?" Mako asked.

"Because only she can go to and from her own lair," Korra said. "The tower is her pillar, the support for her domain. But it isn't the way in. It's just an alarm system. There is only one way in…and there is only one entity that has the ability to get in. That entity is Daya, and if I am just a copy, a projection, of her, then I have the ability to get in, too." Korra looked at the platform's design. Very simple, yet so tied in with everything she had learned. Engraved in the platform, two circles, concentric. One large circle, and a smaller circle withing it.

The physical world and the Spirit World's connection.

"This is it…"

A loud noise came from the tower. A very low tone sounded. The Team could feel it vibrating in their chests. Korra looked to the reflection of the sky to see it rippling, becoming disturbed. Suddenly, several dark Spirits rose from the agitated liquid. They looked like SPORE, only instead of green eyes, they had big globs of yellow all around their heads Tiny antennae placed in between each of these yellow eyes. Darkness as skin, and possessing long claws. As they rose from the water, Korra saw that they had no reflections. They did not set off their own alarm. They were sent from Daya. Not for stealing souls. Only for killing.

The sentinels leaped to attack the group, the first of blown backward by the blast of Mako's firebending. Like the waves of SPORE back on Earth, Korra knew that these sentinels would aslo come in stronger and stronger waves. These were not SPORE. These were Spirits that had no intentions to steal souls. To retrieve the energy. To dissolve the boundary between the worlds.

The SPORE were simply agents of the Spirit World. Slaves that could be controlled and manipulated and reincarnated each time they were destroyed. These new Spirits attacking the group now were the ones in control. The SPORE were opening the portal. These were Spirits that would come through that portal. To tear apart the fabric of the physical world, and build the next one around CHAOS.

"No," Korra said as Mako unleashed his fire toward the attacking sentinels. "Try not to kill so many of them! These aren't mindless, lifeless SPORE. They are actual inhabitants of this world."

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Bolin yelled. "They are trying to kill us!" The small wave had ended, but Korra saw in the distance, beyond the tower, more, bigger sentinels approaching. Gargantuan silhouettes forming in the clouds, slowly getting bigger as they came for the Team. Korra needed to act. She was not here to attack the Spirits. She was not here for violence, for a genocide. She was here for peace. She was here to preserve both worlds.

"No one has ever confronted Daya. No one but she can get in," Korra felt the platform. "I have her power. I am her. Only I can get to her. We are not here for war, we are here for an agreement. For peace. You guys get these soldiers and get out of here. You've been by my side until this point, and I thank you, but only I can go forward from here. You must get these men back to their families, and you all get back to yours. Follow the auroras, they will lead you to the exits. Hurry, these Spirits will follow you to those portals back to the real world. Make sure they do, because I am going to need a lot of energy and concentration to get up to her," Korra said, looking upward to the sky where the tower disappeared. The Spirits were getting closer. "They will follow you to the physical world, but I'll make sure to get to Daya before they do any damage. All you guys have to do is stall them and get back safely."

Bolin and Mako nodded their heads, picked up the two soldiers and lingered for a second, wanting to say something to Korra before they parted.

"Just go!" Korra yelled.

"This…this won't be the last time we see you, right?" Bolin asked. "You'll be on the other side when this is over, won't you?"

"In one way or another…," Korra said sadly.

"I hope so," Mako said. "We'll need you."

"You don't need me anymore. You don't need me to guide you. You are strong enough to do that yourself."

"We don't need you for guidance. We need you because your our friend. Our family," Mako said. He looked at the oncoming Spirits and decided to cut the goodbye short. "We'll see you there, Korra. When this is all over. When we are finally free," with that Mako and Bolin began making their way backward, away from the tower, following the auroras.

Asami stayed behind.

"Korra, please, before I go, what Tenzin said…"

Korra grabbed Asami and pulled her close, kissing her passionately, wishing it was not the last time. The alarm on the tower sounded again. The Spirits neared. Korra stopped and looked deeply into Asami's beautiful eyes filling up with water.

"Asami, when this is over," Korra said. "I won't be coming back. I've made up my mind long before this, and those that I love, their existence, is worth mine. Daya holds me together, she created me, and by destroying her, I am destroying the only thing keeping me bounded. Please, understand, and leave this place, get out of here alive…for me," Korra took her hands from Asami and backed up toward the platform, preparing herself to gain entrance into Daya's lair. Asami trembled where she stood, uncertain of what to say. Of what to feel. She backed up, against her own will, not knowing what else to do.

Korra's hands glowed a bright green, the vast energy of the cosmos giving life to this world now flowing through her veins and out into the platform. Korra looked up at Asami, sadly, and watched the girl she loved turn and hesitantly leave her, catching up with Bolin and Mako.

Korra's eyes and veins began to glow green as she concentrated all of her energy into the platform, knowing that energybending was the only way to activate the portal leading up into Daya's lair. Just like each nation had their element as the key to their most sacred rooms, the Spirit World's most sacred realm could only be accessed by the most powerful energybending, which only Daya, and the Avatar, possessed.

The concentric circles on the platform lit up, albeit dimly. Korra felt that she was expending so much energy but was only able to barely ignite the platform. She began to sweat as the platform gradually glowed brighter, but sensed the Spirits approaching behind her, knowing they were only following the auroras to the physical world just like Mako, Bolin, and Asami were. This other fraction of Team Avatar reached the top of the hill which overlooked the metal maze, the glowing platform at its center.

The shadows of the oncoming, giant Spirits stopped just beyond the tower. Arrays of them. Their silhouettes merged together into a skyline of long horns and yellow eyes. The most powerful of all the Spirits under Daya.

Mako and Bolin continued on, carrying the two soldiers, but Asami stopped, looking at the massive entities.

"You guys, they aren't coming for us," Asami said. Mako and Bolin turned around to look down at the Spirits lined up across the horizon. Just beyond where Korra was trying to open the portal to Daya.

Korra, too, felt them watching her. The Spirits. She realized they were not going for the physical world. Not yet. They had come for her. Sent by Daya to stop Korra before she ever reached her. She then heard a sound which sounded like a swarm of flies gradually getting louder.

"What is that?" Bolin yelled as the clouds around the Spirits were blacked out.

_Dammit_, Korra thought to herself. She reluctantly broke her concentration, stopped charging the platform and turned to emit a bolt of cosmic energy at her attackers. The large Spirits were releasing thousands of smaller sentinels upon Korra, preventing her from successfully opening the portal. She wiped out one of the waves and quickly returned to the platform, refocusing her concentration on trying to open the portal, but having to stop the process more and more frequently as the sentinels kept raining down upon her from the sky.

"She's not going to make it," Mako said. He put the soldier down carefully and started to make his way back toward Korra to help, only to be halted by Asami's arm. "What are you doing? Korra is in trouble."

"Yes, I know. But so are these two men. You need to get them out. If you go down there you will only get yourself killed and this will mean nothing. We don't know how powerful those Spirits are. And there are so many of them."

"So what then?" Mako yelled. "We are just going to leave her and let her die?"

Asami hesitated, then held her forearm in her hand, knowing that now was the time, that this was the moment she had been preparing for.

"No. She won't be left behind. You two get out of here. I'll go back for Korra."

"Asami that is crazy," Bolin said. "You said it yourself. Those Spirits might be so powerful how do you plan to hold them off at all? Let us go! We can use our bending."

Asami turned to them. "No. I've made up my mind, just like Korra had, a long time ago. That I would give myself up when the time came for what was most important," Asami pulled her sleeve up to show the green vials embedded in her forearm, glowing with unused Clasma. Mako and Bolin gasped at the sight. "I've waited for the perfect time to use this. An extremely powerful, rendered Clasma that I created while infected with it. Powerful enough, especially in this world, to stop this swarm, and let Korra get to where she needs to go safely. But at the same time, too powerful for my own being to handle."

"Asami! I'm not going to let you…"

"Yes. You are. Go back home. You have people back there. Both of you do. People that care about you. That love you," she said, looking to Bolin. "The only one left that truly loves me, and that I truly love as well, is her. I'm not scared. I' m ready. I know what I am doing. Please, just let me do this. This will give the power to save her, to help stop this. I don't care if it means my life, because the thing I will fight for means just as much to me."

Mako angrily agreed to let her go. He indicated to Bolin to turn around and follow her orders, realizing that the unnatural power the Clasma would give her would be enough to hold off this swarm. Bolin, before picking up the soldier, hugged Asami.

"I knew I might be saying a lot of goodbyes, today. But that doesn't mean I was ready for them," he said, starting to cry.

Mako walked up to her next. "Asami…I don't want to do this. Please know that. I don't want to lose you. You think that Korra cares about yo so much, and I know she does, but just know that she isn't the only one. We are still a family, no matter what. We both love you, too," Mako said. Asami hugged him.

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means."

The two brother and Asami left in different directions, the two heading following the auroras leading to the physical world, to their home. The other, Asami, sprinted back to Korra.

The young Avatar panted, exhausted from switching back forth as she tried to open the portal while staying alive. She became desperate. Losing hope. The shadow, not that of the Spirits, but that of a human, appeared on the ground before her.

"Korra, get up. Get up, Korra!" The person yelled.

"Asami!? What are you doing back here? You'll die."

"I'm making sure you get to where you need to be, Korra. You have come this far and I won't let these Spirits stop you."

"There are too many. There is no way you can hold them off. Your guns won't do anything. Please, just go!"

Asami looked as the giant Spirits approached, sending more swarms of smaller sentinels, a cloud of black and yellow soaring toward them.

"Let me handle these, Korra. Hurry! Open the portal. Don't worry about the Spirits, I'll take care of them," Asami extended her arm out, showing Korra the Clasma vials.

"It was you?" Korra said. "I sensed the Clasma all the way out of the city. You had it the whole time?" Asami stood. "No, I won't let you use that! It will corrupt you. Don't do this for me."

"You aren't the only one here today who is prepared to give herself up for this race. For the ones she loves. Do what you need to, Korra!" Asami said. The sound of the swarms go louder, drowning out their voices. Korra rose to stop Asami as she walked to the boundary of the metal road and the liquid in which the tower rested, walking to meet the swarm head on. Korra stopped herself upon seeing the light in the platform begin to dim, and returned to continue charging it, using all her energy. It began to glow brighter. Korra pushed through the pain, hoping to open it before the swarm arrived so Asami would be able to escape.

Asami looked up to see the sentinels just upon her.

_Goodbye, Korra._

She was too late.

"No! Asami!" Korra yelled.

Asami clenched her fists and triggered the vials to release the powerful substance into her veins, instantly transforming her internal makeup. Instantly changing her into something else. The memories and thoughts and feelings of a thousand people concentrated in this one substance flowed through her mind, but along with that was their bending. The sentinels stuck out their claws to kill, but were completely vaporized in a wave of flames emitted from Asami's hands and mouth.

Asami's concoction proved to be more powerful than she anticipated. Soon any memory she ever had of herself was buried. In addition to her advanced design of the substance, her bending was enhanced too by the power of the Spirit World around her. The metal blocks were uplifted and broken up into tiny, compact pieces which Asami fired at the swarms. Fire storms erupted above her, lightning discharged within them, forming an impenetrable barrier between the sentinels and the vulnerable Avatar.

The bright light on the platform reached its maximum intensity, and Korra felt her energy quickly return to her. She was pulled to the ground by what felt like a strong, gravitational pull. Her surroundings became blurry.

When she felt the force lift from her, when she was able to get up, she rushed toward where Asami had been standing just a second ago, only to see that Korra was no longer in the same place. She had risen into the realm in the sky, the tower's peak. No more clouds, no more swarms, no more Spirits around her. Just a silence. An emptiness. And stairs.

Stairs which ascended to Korra's final destination.

_Asami…I will come back for you. I don't know how, but I know I will. I have to._


	61. Advent

-Advent—

The clouds swirled around, alternating from blue to pink to blue to pink…

As if nothing had changed. The breeze blew lightly and quietly. The trees, blue with the crystal fruit reflecting all colors, swaying with it. The grass beneath her depressed by her body, molding to her shape and hugging the contours of her body with its cool arms.

The silence, the peace and calm around her contrasting the war of identities going on in her mind, the battle for the correct memories, the victories and usurpations of alternating personalities. The power, too intense for Asami's body to handle, pulsating through her veins.

In the midst of this rampage within her mind, Asami looked up at the clouds, desperately seeking peace, seeking sanctuary. The clouds spoke to her. Its words received by her like never before with this saturated cosmic energy within her, acting as sensitive nerves to the voices of the Spirit World. Asami could not understand what it was telling her, but she knew it was coming from the sky. She knew there was something up there, something good, something that reassured her that she was going to be okay. Even if Asami did not remember Asami, or Korra, or where she was, or what she was. Lost and scared in her own body, this girl, the collection of various people and souls, was somehow connected to someone else by looking at this sky. Someone who cared whether or not she existed.

The Spirits had slowly crept past Daya's tower and directed themselves toward the nearest portal to the physical world, the boundary dissolved thanks to Daya herself and the power returned to the Spirit World from the SPORE. These Spirits, the army of this world, towering over the trees and emitting raw power, ready to tear apart what was left of the physical world and rebuild it better.

Asami had abandoned the tower after Korra had ascended, but she could not make it far before her legs gave out. The power coursing through her too powerful for her body, shaking its foundation. Pumping her heart faster and faster to the point where it would explode. Everything around her set off her heightened senses and awareness. She could not handle it and, once far away from Daya's tower, found no other option but to stare at the sky, the closest source of inactivity and nothingness, to calm her senses. For the sky emitted this gentle voice among the screaming and violent voices in her head. A gentle voice that spoke only to her, to who she really was, and she knew it, even if she could not remember who that girl was:

_It is okay. You are not forgotten. I am with you. We are always together because I love you._

Asami did not remember Asami, but this voice, it allowed her to see this girl she could not recall. The young, black-haired little girl, and the mother beside her, the one who first spoke these calming words.

Asami felt what this girl felt. She felt the warmth from resting her young head against her mother's chest. The happiness and safety of hearing her mother speak to her, telling her to be true to herself, and that she loved her so much.

Her mother was here. Beside her again. Speaking to her. Telling to hold on. To be strong and remember who she really is. Even if that means remembering a single memory from her true life, to grasp it as tightly as possible.

Asami grasped it, and held it tightly, against the force of the opposing memories and identities. The memory of something she felt so strongly. The memory of love, for someone, a girl? A guy? She could not remember but she knew that someone was real, fighting for her, calming her just like her mother was. Someone who returned this feeling,

Holding on to this same feeling, this same love, connecting the two, forever.

There was silence where Korra was. The clouds this high up no longer maintained their blue and pink color, but rather were a static gray. Like thick fog. Obstructing the view of what rested beneath her. There was only one way to go from this point. Stairs led up to a platform she could not see.

Korra climbed the steps, and as she did, it was as if some sort of light source began to shine on the clouds as they slowly became saturated with color. Saturated with a gentle pink and blue but also green like grass and purple like flowers. Yellow like a sun. Just as Korra felt that distribution of color resembled a bed of flowers, she reached the top of the steps to find herself standing at the threshold of a field of flowers, blowing calmly in the wind. The platform on which she was standing looked as if it was layered, small bodies of water flowing from one layer down to the next in soft waterfalls. The water glowing with all the colors of the flowers before her.

Korra had been here before. The color was different. The feel of the air and sounds of the waters was different. But the sky above her was the same, filled with clusters of sparkling lights resembling stars. A glowing band across this sky, Korra realizing it to be a stream of cosmic energy. Its power harnessed by the Spirit living within the statue planted at the center of this celestial meadow.

She felt it. Felt her. Daya, as she stood face to face with the statue. The statue itself appeared to be the head and torso of an angel, her arms tied behind her back, large wings protruding from the back, but no feathers. It looked like bone. The skeleton of wings. A trapped God. Korra's creator, but more accurately, her. The very model used to create the Avatar. Korra's true form.

Together in this place again, the two were only one. Their power shared. Their minds shared. The same entity split into two. The only difference between them now being that Korra's death would have no effect on Daya, but Daya's death meant the end of Korra. The one condition that separated the two, that established master and slave. The only thing Daya had left.

The eyes on the angel glowed green. Alive. A voice spoke, but not out loud. Within Korra's head. Stopping her completely. Starting as nothing but a high-pitched screech, then slowly leveling out. The indistinguishable screeches becoming actual words.

_Oni._

Korra couldn't move. Too hesitant to speak. Never having been face-to-face with her actual creator. Only visited by her in nightmares and visions. Beads of sweat trailed down the side of her face. She wanted this just to be over. She wanted to skip to the end and not have to endure this, or just turn around now and avoid it.

But she had come this far. She could not be scared.

The statue continued to speak in her head.

_Do not be afraid. After all, it is you who has come here as the assassin. Isn't that correct? I should be the one who is scared._

Korra spoke out loud. "Daya…" but Korra's voice reverberated throughout the air. Caught and released by the packets of cosmic energy flowing around her. Spreading out and deforming. Her words became an indecipherable mess of hums. She could feel this energy in her fingertips. The Cosmos that flowed through this place. Through Daya. She knew she was not supposed to speak out loud here. There was no point. It was like talking to herself. Her words never had to leave her own mind.

_You and I share a much deeper connection than you thought possible, apparently. You can feel the power that flows through here. My power, but yours as well, Oni. You and I are one and the same, only trapped in different bodies. Hailing from different worlds. And that world has changed you. Corrupted you into coming here to kill me._

Korra tried to communicate. _You're wrong. I'm not here to kill you._

_We both know that is not true. We both know that is the only way to get what you want._

Korra hesitated before speaking again, hoping Daya was wrong, but knowing deep down that she would have to kill her. But not in the way that Daya believed. Not out of hatred or vengeance. Not against the Spirit's will.

_I don't want that to happen, Daya. I've not come here as an assassin. I've come here as a messenger for the human race. _

_And what is this message?_

_A request. For separation. For independence. Freedom from their bonds with this world. That is all we ask. That is all we desire. We do not want war with this world. We do not want violence. We only seek peace. You will have this world, and we will have ours._

Korra stopped speaking. She waited for Daya to answer. Hoping she would see the truth in what Korra said. Hoping it would all be over.

_We may be the same, Oni, but your conscious is broken. Spread out throughout many bodies throughout time. Mine is continuous. You have not seen the horrors that I have witnessed among your people. These people you say want peace. You do not see the good in humans, you only choose to look away from the evil. From the inevitable truth about the human species. That they are a failed race. That every idea which comes into their minds and every inch of power that is handed to them immediately sets of the chain reaction of terror and hatred and destruction of their own selves. An idea, it leads to conflict, but power, power arms the conflict. It fuels and strengthens even the most corrupted ideas and ultimately pulls the bearers of such things, no matter how good they believe they are, into the darkest depths of evil. Humans cannot understand power. It merely twists them into a horrible monster. A massive flaw in their existence. _

_You're wrong. We are not all corrupted by power._

_Oh, then why do you seek to erase bending from your world if it is not for the reason that the human race is corrupted by power?_

Korra began getting angry. She did not respond immediately.

_There it is. A belief proven wrong. But you have power, and you will use that power to make that belief right. By making me believe it as well. By disproving it, I have made you question your own goals. I have confused your own morals, but you have power, and that power turns that confusion to anger, which leads to hatred and corruption of your own self. And who else to express your hatred on but me? Just as you came here to, knowing that your only reason for being here was to kill me because you knew I would not see the world the way you see it. _

_Daya…I have not come here to end bending. I have come here to separate our worlds. If bending must end as a consequence, then so be it. The human race is prepared to lose that. It is nothing more to us now than a hand to hold, but it is not that we cannot handle this power that we are willing to get rid of it, but that we realize we are strong enough to live without it disrupting our idea of what we truly are. We are humans. We have a different kind of power that we hold to be more important. A power that is inherent in each one of us that manifests itself so differently in everyone. As a skill or an invention. As bravery or courage. Or love and friendship and sacrifice. It's this power, this human power, that drives us to edges of this world to preserve our existence. To survive, live our lives in peace and be able to realize our own power and experience everything in life freely. That is why I have come here. The humans only wish to live, and that is more important to them than your power. The end of your intervention in our world is the only way that can ever be. _

_You think you are fighting for some righteous cause? You don't believe that you have only skewed your own goals to make them sound right? Your people will only find a new power to crave in the absence of bending. A new form of subjugation to protect any idea that comes into their minds. To defend even the most irrational beliefs. If there is control over the lives of others, your species will find it, and abuse it, just as they have done throughout all of history. _

_I do not doubt your words. But there will always be good people as well, to rise and fight against the evil, to remind this world that the light will always shine through the darkness. That is why those people will always exist, to strengthen the good. Graft was proof of this. Graft was your ideal example who tried to prove to us that the power of bending is our foundation. He tried to show us that bending holds more significance to us than the ones we love. But he was wrong. He defended his idea, with violence, with control, but in the end, his regime fell. Solomon was the one who killed Graft, but his legacy, his mission, those were killed by us. The humans, who realized that he was wrong, that bending and power can never be as important to us than the ones we love and live with. Than our dreams and happiness. You cannot have an ideal world. You cannot have a race where everyone knows only good because you have forced them to. That is life bounded in chains. It is injustice. You cannot punish an entire race of an innocent, loving species for the actions of those who have fallen too far. You cannot create life like this only to take it away when you decide it is right. What happens to us must be our own doings, must be the result of our own actions and of the random chance of the world we live in. Your intervention disturbs that. You become the creator and the assassin. You are no better than Graft, than the worst of the humans._

Korra felt the energy levels changing around her. Becoming angry. The whole conversation felt weird. As if she was having it with herself. A different part of her own mind.

_You fail to realize that we are one and the same, Oni. That whatever I am, you are as well. You cannot escape this truth. You are forever tied to me. You will never be free of what you truly are. I will make you proof of my claim, Oni. You have become one of the humans, then you will fulfill their prophecy, their fatal flaw, and finally understand why they must be destroyed. You can feel the power flowing through us. _

_No. I won't become that. You can't tempt me. I have come here for a specific reason. I won't let Koh be right. I'll prove you wrong, Daya. I wanted to come here, hoping you would understand, but it seems that will not happen…_

_Then there is only one option left, isn't there? In order for the Spirits to cease their attack, the one tying them to the physical world, me, must be destroyed. You must destroy this statue to release me._

_Why? Some kind of trap?_

_This is my cage. Locked in here ever since your creation all those years ago. Using all of my strength to project myself into the physical world. But now that projection is here, back in the Spirit World. You, the energy that has been gone from me for so long, has returned. We are the same entity, Oni, and when we are together, in this same place, we share the same power. The same mind. The only thing that stands in the way of what we both want is this statue that you must break. My goals involve my freedom from this cage. And yours do as well. You wish to kill me and end all of this, and the only way to do that is to free me from here. So go on then. If you refuse, I'll make sure you get a good glance at the next species that will replace yours._

Korra, angered, walked quickly toward the provoking statue of Daya. She placed both hands on the sides of the statue and lifted it out of the ground, looking right into the glowing green eyes of the angel.

_I'm not doing this for myself, Daya. I'm not a pawn in your game. I'm doing it for both of our worlds. So that the strife will be suppressed forever. I'll make sure that happens when this ends._

Korra turned and smashed the statue against the ground. The stone shattered and a black dust spread like a swarm of flies from the inside, withering all of the flowers and trees as it passed over them, depleting the bodies of water, turning the grass to dirt. Eventually, the swarm grew so thick around Korra in all directions, spinning around, her at the center of this vortex. No longer could she see the sky or the field. Trapped in a swirling mass of darkness emitting an extremely loud buzzing noise.

Korra stood, unafraid, breathing quickly, absolutely still. The force of the energy spinning around her blowing her hair to the side. A pair of bright green eyes formed before her, and two arms materialized, stretching out to grab her. Korra didn't wait for them to reach her. Acting out of instinct upon noticing these hands, she quickly removed her sword and plunged it into the glowing green eyes. What she thought was the brightness of the eyes blinding her, Korra then realized that it was actually a sun. The rays peeking through the tops of very tall trees of a forest. Not the blue, crystal forest of the Spirit World.

Green trees, fruit growing from them in full. Ripe and delicious-looking. Grass so soft against her back as she realized she was on the ground. As if the garden she just saw decay into darkness had revived itself.

Korra sat up and looked around to see that she _was_ indeed in the middle of what seemed like a large rainforest. The air was slightly humid. She did not feel tired. Her sword was returned to its holster, completely clean.

_It's over._ Korra leaned back again, feeling the comfort of the grass again as celebration for her achievement.

_I don't know how, but it's over. I have done it. I can rest…_


	62. Out of Eden Pt 1: The Garden

Out of Eden Pt. 1: The Garden

Korra cut her way through some of the thick brush. It felt as though she had been walking in this forest for a while, but the sun never moved across the sky. Everything looked like the type of place she would find in the physical world. It even felt like she had been here before.

_Wait. Does this mean it happened? Does this mean I am dead?_

Korra didn't receive any answer this time. Her mind no longer tapped by Daya. It felt like freedom. It felt like things were over. But she could not be sure without seeing what the physical world looked like, and even if she did, how could she trust it?

_Daya…I acted too soon. I never gave you a chance to see things the way I saw them._

Korra eventually stepped out of the rainforest and onto a dirt path which looked like it had been taken very frequently. Pounded deep into the earth by human footsteps. She followed the path as it gradually widened into more of a road. Playing in the middle of the road, a young boy with is hood up sat on the ground. Small figurines of odd creatures in his hands. Korra heard him making little explosion sounds with his mouth as he crashed two figurines resembling giant birds together. The young boy had a hood with a gold spiral on the back. He sensed Korra's footsteps and turned to look at her.

"Hi there!" he said cheerfully. He removed his hood to reveal the face of a dark-skinned boy a few years younger than Korra. "You must be Korra. Nice to meet you. I'm Shoogar," the boy said, holding his arm out after standing up.

Korra shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Shoogar…how'd you know my name? Am I still in the Spirit World or…"

"Well, it's over now. You must be hungry. Come with me! I'll make you something to eat at my house. It's just down the path on the next platform. Come on!" The boy said, then took off before Korra could say anything. She ran after him. Sprinting to catch up with him. He was incredibly fast. She had never seen anyone run so fast, but was puzzled when she got tired. Why would she get tired if she was dead? And why would she need food? Or even be hungry? Or even have a body to inhabit? It seemed weird to her, unless this was just all in her head, that dying is just a prolonged dream that you live in.

Korra distracted herself with these thoughts and nearly ran right over the edge of a cliff. She stopped herself by holding onto a tree and swinging herself backward. Over the edge of the cliff she saw various chunks of land appearing to be floating. The ground on which she was standing was one of these chunks of earth as well. They all floated above an abyss glowing green, bursts of energy shooting out of the void and striking each of the platforms periodically.

"The energy of the other world below us keeps us afloat. Keeps us in existence. We depend on it to live. My house is on that one," Shoogar said, pointing to a floating mass of earth, the top layered with grass. A small cottage built over the grass, the only structure occupying that particular floating land.

"The Spirit World?" Korra said, looking down at the glowing green below here. "How is it there? I thought we were already in the Spirit World, unless that is just some huge collection of cosmic energy…?"

"You know, we'd die without it. Also, it keeps things afloat. Even you and me, if you do it right. Usually we have to ride the Tyvens to get from platform to platform, but they can be so unpredictable and are painfully slow. They look like giant birds and they always take so long because they fly so carefully and gently. Plus the way their bodies work is if they come into contact with the cosmic energy they lose all their skin and feathers and organs. They just become skeletons, still able to fly of course. The cosmic energy allows for that. But still it's just creepy and uncomfortable. I know a better way, though. To navigate the platforms. You gotta be quick, but otherwise it is really easy. The energy below us detects the heat in our bodies so it will flare up but you just gotta like bounce off it by pressing against it with your feet like it is a wall, okay? Okay here is one let's go!" he took Korra leaped off the edge.

Korra felt her stomach in her throat, which was terrifying and exhilarating given that she thought she would never feel anything again just a short time ago.

"Prepare yourself, Oni!" Shoogar yelled, as a blast of cosmic energy flared up, launching him upward into the air. She only heard his joyful screams as he went soaring in the direction of his house. Korra continued to fall, hitting terminal velocity, now alone, hoping it wasn't too late to save herself. Below her, a bright light flashed from the green abyss, and a beam of energy shot up toward her. Trying to mimic Shoogar's actions, Korra stuck her feet out and pressed off against the rising energy, but was slightly off-balance. She was flung up into the air, but not in a smooth fashion like Shoogar. She went spinning in circles as she soared toward her destination, landing painfully on her back next to the young boy waiting patiently.

"Nice one!" He said. "Those were some cool flips you were doing. You almost landed them."

Korra sat up and straightened her back, hearing it crack several times. "What did you…what did you call me back there…?"

"I know what will make you feel better," Shoogar interrupted, as if he didn't hear her. "I'll make us some food. A home-favorite. You'll love it and it'll fill you right up."

Korra wondered why she was feeling hungry. Why she was feeling pain. Anything. If she was supposed to be dead. It didn't feel like a dream. It felt like she was missing something. She stood up and saw Shoogar run away from her and up a small hill. The platform hovering over the cosmic energy below was quite small, only containing a single house on the surface. Shoogar's home. Wooden steps leading up the side of the hill to the front door. Several trees and plants and flowers surrounding the quaint, wooden house.

"This is where you live?" Korra asked. She heard no answer. She walked in the front door and sat at a small, dining table. He was expecting her. The table was set with plates and silverware for eating. Two glasses filled with water.

"I'll be right there, Oni. I'm just getting the meat and trays from the backroom."

Korra didn't respond. It did not ever feel like she was actually talking to the boy when she tried. Like he just didn't understand her words, or he would start talking about something else when she asked a question. Just a feeling of hearing her own words out loud, but no one else hearing them.

_Is this death?_

She looked at the glasses on the table filled with water and a strange sensation overcame her. It felt similar to how she felt around liquid when she could waterbend, only it was a much deeper connection with the substance this time. Like its inner structure was so visible to her. She could feel each and every molecule flowing around within it. As she moved her hand across the table, she saw the water level rise and fall slowly, but perfectly synchronized with the motion of her hand.

_It can't be._

Korra lifted her hand into the hair, and the water rose out of the glass with it. Into the air before her, a contained sphere of clear water floating, swirling, kept bounded together by Korra's connection to the cosmic energy so prevalent in this world. She stared at the sphere and gently put her hand down, but the sphere did not move this time. She was no longer controlling it with her hands, with any motion of her body. She was just watching it, speaking to it, telling it to stay levitated where it was. No requirements from her hands, only her mind. The outlying speckles of water merged with the larger sphere, it stopped swirling. It looked like a glass ball. She started to freeze it, telling each component to solidify and bind with the other atoms.

Korra smiled. It was nothing like waterbending, the control she had over this sphere now. It was completely obedient to her. She reached her hand out and the sphere gently descended into her palm. It was heavy.

_Too heavy_

The ball suddenly became lighter. A small cloud of vapor emitted.

_What else?_

Korra looked around the kitchen. Each door of each cabinet opened gently for her to see in when she merely looked at it and psychically told it what to do . Then it closed when she looked away, just as she wanted. In the corner of the room was a trashcan with a broken vase inside it. Korra, sitting at the table, told each piece of the broken vase to rise from the waste basket. The pieces quickly shot up into the air, levitating, and combined back together with a quick _swoosh_, like pieces of a puzzle, reattaching the broken bonds and once again becoming a beautiful ornament, unbroken. Not even a single crack. She guided it back onto the counter.

Amazed and mystified by this incredible power she now possessed, Korra looked at the ice ball sitting in her hand and wondered how far her new powers could reach. She heard objects around her begin to shake lightly as she stared hard into the ball. Deep into its center. The distorted image of the kitchen looking through the ice turned into a different image. Korra stared harder, focusing her energy, and the image became clearer. She became immersed in the ball. No longer feeling herself in the boy's house any longer. In the sky of a new world looking down on a city. On abandoned streets. On masses of people in movement. A movement driven by the masses of dark figures with green eyes standing just beyond the walls. Standing still, but still standing.

_SPORE. They were supposed to be gone. _

Beyond the SPORE, Korra saw the glowing orb, the radius of which consuming about three blocks of the city. The portal revolving around CHAOS. Another sphere, just like the one she was looking into now. She looked into this new sphere, the portal into this world and saw herself, here in this kitchen. Here in the Spirit World.

_The Spirit World. The portal is still there. I'm not dead. This isn't over,_ Korra realized.

**_There is only one way this can end, Oni._**

The voice caused Korra dropped the ice sphere hard onto the table, and noticed several objects in the kitchen that had been levitating due to her power radiating. They all suddenly dropped at once around her. She had heard the voice, not her own, but it was within her own head. As if she was telling herself these things.

Standing up quickly, Korra turned behind her, feeling eyes upon her. Feeling movement around her. Like something slithering across the kitchen floor and into the next room.

"I'll be right there," Shoogar's voice echoed, but Korra knew who Shoogar was, and this boy was not him. Not him because this boy was just a proxy, an avatar, a body to use by the spirit who didn't have one of her own. Korra stormed into the other room just in time to see the darkness on the ground clear away and become the shadows and dark spots behind the furniture.

_Daya_

"What are you doing?" Shoogar asked, standing behind Korra, back in the kitchen, holding a tray with nothing on it. "I brought you food."

"What is going on here? Who are you?"

"Have you tried this before?" He asked, completely oblivious to her question. He looked to the counter. "Oh, my vase is fixed. Do you want to know how I got this?"

Korra was confused. Shoogar would refuse to answer her questions. He would not even acknowledge them. She did not know how to interrogate him and bring Daya out here until it hit her that this _was _Daya. Daya was manifesting herself as this boy, in this world. The boy wouldn't respond because he did not understand. It was just like before. Daya could not understand Korra when she spoke. The concept made no sense, as Korra and Daya were one and the same. Now that they were in the same world, the same realm, Korra could not use words to speak to her.

_You are not fooling me, Daya. I know it's you._

Shoogar lost his smile and dropped the bare tray to the floor. He cracked his neck in a disturbing way then showed his eyes. Her eyes. They glowed green. Shoogar smiled.

_Mm, you are powerful. Oh, yes you are. _

_Where am I?_

_You ask me questions you need ask no one else but yourself. A simple test. To get an idea of what you are capable of. Your power, as well as your mind. You see? You see what incredible power you possess? My power. You see how you could change so much, to be exactly what you want?_

Korra drew her sword.

_I won't be corrupted by this power you've given me._

_You have always had this power. You have always been my reflection. _

Korra ran to Daya, possessing Shoogar's body.

_I don't believe you._

_Yes. Attack. Use all of your strength, so that you can understand its infinite capabilities! Come!_

Shoogar raised his arms. The ground shook like an earthquake. All around Korra, massive trees quickly sprouted from the ground, bursting through the floors and growing up toward the sky. Growing incredibly fast all around her. The branches of each tree extended downward toward Korra. The ends of the branches slammed into the ground around her extremities, trapping Korra's hands and feet in the thick lumber. Pressing against them with increasing strength. Korra felt the pain of her wrists about to snap, her ankles about to bend backward.

_You had best free yourself quickly, Oni._

_Come on, girl._

Korra focused. Daya merely created these trees. They were lifeless objects, not actual trees. A product of her power. But her power was also Korra's power.

_I can uncreate them._

Korra concentrated and thought her head would explode, what felt like huge surges of cosmic energy passing through her body and up to her mind. Korra ignored the pain, considering it something that she would just get used to. She allowed the current of cosmic energy to increase, and soon the branches began to dissolve, as did the trees. Once she had started, Korra found that harnessing this power was getting easier. Her mind and body quickly adapting to the now heavy flows of cosmic energy. As if it had been made to do so.

Back on her feet, Korra cut through the remaining branches with her sword and charged at Shoogar a.k.a Daya. Daya utilized the fact that the first world was known for their powerful weapons and drew a long blade similar to Korra's.

The blades clashed. Thousands of sparks of cosmic energy flew out of the Clasma-infused metal, obliterating the walls and entire structure of the house, completely tearing it down, and even cracking the platform of land right between where the two were stalemated, opposing each other's strength at an equal force. Daya, one hand on her blade, looked to Korra's eyes. Korra felt the burning green on her skin. The fault line between them was so deep that the platform on which they were standing separated into two halves. Breaking apart, separating the two warriors.

Daya jumped back, away from Korra. The two were on separate platforms now, the energy below them pulling the two pieces of land away from each other. Although out of range, Daya swung her blade and sent a wave of energy across the gap, splitting the platform Korra was standing on again into the three pieces. The edges of these new platforms were set ablaze around Korra. She felt the fire dancing around her. It listened to her and moved the way she wanted. Rather than put it out, the fire began to swirl in the air around Korra, generating a huge fireball that she sent soaring toward Daya.

Daya jumped from her platform just as the ball destroyed it. Floating through the air, just before she was about to plunge into the dark abyss below, Daya pointed her finger toward Korra and sent a bolt of lightning, blowing up the remainder of the platform just after Korra had jumped from was now falling down into the abyss below, looking around but finding no land floating around her. No platforms to be seen. She was going to have make her own.

Trying to concentrate, Korra found this to be extremely difficult while free-falling at terminal velocity. Korra stopped when she saw the flash of light beneath her signaling the rise of an energy pulse, just like before. She flipped herself so she was feet first, then pressed against he burst of cosmic energy perfectly, launching back up into the air. Into the clouds, she hardened them and used her powers to keep the ice clouds afloat so that she could safely land on them. Standing among the frozen clouds, Korra looked around waiting for Daya's attack.

All of the clouds surrounding Korra began to turn to floating icicles, but not by Korra's powers. Then, one by one, they all began to shatter. The shards of ice remaining afloat in the air afterward. A nearby cloud shattered, and through the wreckage Korra though she saw a flying skeleton. Some kind of demon. It directed its course and came right for her. As it approached, Korra saw it was a giant skeleton, but the skeleton of some kind of bird.

_A tyven._

The beast was set to crash right into her. She noticed the green in its eyes. Another creature under Daya's influence. The skeleton bird was upon her. Korra jumped and grabbed hold of one of its ribs, latching onto its back. She covered her face as it crashed the ice cloud. Korra mounted the bird, holding on to the bones as if the whole backside of the creature was a saddle. It violently tried to throw her off, still under possession of Daya.

"Agh, stop!" Korra yelled. The creature's long neck curled around and it tried to snap at her with a long, boney beak. Once settled, Korra concentrated, feeling the energy flow through her much heavier, and evicted the evil Spirit's influence over this beast, slightly unsure as to how she did such a thing. The green glow disappeared, the eyes reverting back to the white with black iris eyeballs. Even though the cosmic energy had burned off the creature's skin and feathers, it still kept its wet eyeballs. The bird's face was hideous and terrifying to Korra.

As the creature regained its own conscious, it returned to its normal behavior and flying patterns. The violent lashing stopped, and rather than speeding through the air, the tyven came to a screeching halt and slowly drifted across the sky. Just like Daya had said before, these creatures flew painfully slow.

"Hey! Come on go faster!"

The tyven didn't care about Korra's yelling. It continued flying slowly, only flapping its wings to stay floating. The sky became dark now as clouds formed from nothing. Extremely dark, not normal clouds. A hole in the clouds opened nearby and Korra saw a bird much like the one on which she was sitting soar downward then right itself. Facing her. The same green eyes, only this oncoming tyven had a passenger. A young boy charged up with the energy of the all-powerful Spirit Daya.

"Come on bird! Fly faster. Can't you see that? You don't want that reach us. They'll blow right through us, come on!" It was no used. Korra's tyven didn't listen to her.

_Daya was able to control this thing. So can I._

Korra placed her hands on the head of the creature. Trying to ignore her fear of the attacking tyven beaming for her, Korra concentrated and let the energy flow from her fingers to the beasts head. Connecting with it. Delivering an order. A command. In such a way that the creature would be unable to refuse. Full control over the tyven's movement. Blocking its free will.

Daya forced a smile on Shoogar's face as she saw what Korra was doing. Korra forced the tyven to pick up its speed and change direction. As Daya reached Korra's enslaved tyven, the two plunged in a downward spiral toward the abyss, Daya close on Korra's trail. Each creature following every command from its new master, dodging every burst of cosmic energy that Korra could feel rising a second before it happened. This deep in the void, their presence triggered cosmic energy bursts much more frequently. It shot upward but also criss-crossed around the two tyvens as both Daya and Korra were manipulating the raw energy, attempting to throw the other off.

_It's a powerful feeling, isn't it, Oni? Having a living creature ignore its free will to obey your orders?_

Korra looked at her tyven's eyes, glowing a slightly different green than the eyes of Daya's. Refusing to admit that Daya was correct, she commanded the creature to fly upward, away from the danger and back toward the sky. As she ascended, she noticed that several platforms of land had reappeared. Daya was controlling them, moving them quickly to obstruct Korra's path. Two giant platforms of land slammed together right in Korra's path. With nowhere to go, Korra had no choice but to create her own hole in the rocks and fly through the center, continuing her way back to the clouds. Once far enough away, she released her control of the tyven and jumped off of it, allowing it to escape from the battle, unsure of whether or not it was actually a real living thing or just a projection from Daya.

Korra fell out of the sky and immediately saw Daya not far beneath her. Daya lightly pushed off of her tyven and drew her blade. Korra, at full speed, clashed her blade into Daya's, causing a wave of cosmic energy to discharge and destroy several of the platforms nearby. What looked like green lightning traveled back and forth between the two blades.

_That is an interesting weapon you have there. I think it once belonged to the boy whose body I now possess. I believe he had fashioned it to kill me. But just like you, his love for power exceeded his love for his people. _

_I don't believe you._

_He killed them all! He released the SPORE because he thought power was in it for him! This power that you now hold! You are helpless against it! You are human, just like the rest!_

Shoogar's mouth opened wide, the green eyes turned black. His body disintegrated into the familiar swarm of darkness surrounding the falling Korra. She righted herself and unexpectedly landed on a surface.

Korra looked down at her feet. It was dirt, sand, like a desert. When she looked up again she saw that she was in a different environment all together. No more floating platforms or infinite voids beneath her. She was high up on a dirt mountain overlooking a small, rural town. The entire scene was very familiar to her. She saw the long train that led from the big water-tower just outside the town up the mountain to the location at which she was standing now.

_The second world._

Korra didn't hesitate. She began to climb the mountain, never forgetting to check her back for when Daya or one of her creations would randomly appear in some form that she didn't know yet.

_If Shoogar was her form in the first world…_

A few meters up the mountain, Korra found the large mouth of an entrance to a cave. The path inside was lit by strange, illuminating writing on the walls of the cave. The cave, the whole mountain was familiar to ehr. Glowing green. Always glowing green, just like everything in existence. Everything that had life glowed green. Was it actually green, or did Korra just perceive all life as this color?

Voices echoed off the cave walls. Two men. Arguing. Disagreeing. One of them anxious, tense, scared. Reluctant to go any further. The other was quiet and calm. Unafraid. The illuminated writing glowed brighter as Korra walked into the cave. Burning with more energy. More life.

_All life glows with this energy. With this power. Her Power. Mine…_

The voices became louder as Korra descended deeper. More understandable.

"What are we even doing in here? No one ever comes here. I know you feel it, too."

Silence. The first voice spoke again. "This is so frustrating. Can you just tell me what you are trying to do?"

"There exists something in this universe. A power that flows through it, a current that powers every little thing in it. Whoever would have access to this power, whoever, or whatever, was able to gain control over it, would consequently gain control of everything. An entire universe to toy with, to arrange and rearrange and experiment on. To see what can exist, tear it down, rebuild, and explore every possibility of what can be. Every outcome. Every result of endowing a world with a driving force such as this. Observe the things that can be created and learned from giving an inanimate thing the power of life. Our connection with this power was determined by something, some kind of entity, something that has absolute control over it. Over everything." _Daya. "_There is so much to understand, so much to grasp, the fact that this supreme entity gave us so little of this power makes me ask, 'why'? Was it to use for our own well-being? Or was it a clue. A trail. A trace leading to some kind of scheme beyond our understanding, a truth we could not even comprehend or ever realize on our own. We live in this world oblivious to what happened in the others."

"What others?"

"The worlds before. The worlds after. I can see them. I can see all the worlds. They begin with an idea. This forms into a structure. An organization of objects. A conscious placement of inanimate bodies. Inanimate bodies that serve no purpose and have no reason to exist until they are given the only thing which gives them value. The one thing that once contained within them, gives them uniqueness, gives them the ability to think and choose and create their own words and their own purpose and their own destinies. A power that is unpredictable, that has no pattern and derives from no formula. Without this, they are nothing. But who…but what…is the one who begins it all? It must be one who controls all this power. This cosmos. One who is born from it. In it. A direct product of nothing but chaos. Trying desperately to produce order."

"Raiken…" the other voice said. Korra was running by now. Running to the place within the cave where the light glowed the most intense. The cave which stretched much further than the mountain could possibly allow, but Korra didn't take any notice to this. She didn't care. She rushed to get to the source of the voices because she knew them. She knew his. She knew the words. The meaning. The name. The time. The world. She knew it, and she knew what was going to happen.

They were just around the corner. As she reached them, she saw for just a brief second the two figures she expected to see. The tall male figures, long black cloaks with hoods veiling their faces. Just a brief second, then the green light on the walls dimmed, and their was only darkness. She stopped, The lights returned, but not scattered across the cave walls like before. The light was emitted from a single source before Korra. The brightness of the light blinding her, making her fail to realize they were coming out of two eyes. The light brightened the floor before Korra, showing the body of one of the men who had been standing here. He appeared dead, but upon closer inspection, Korra saw he was still breathing.

Gasping, Korra rushed up to him. The light flashed brightly and the walls were once again lit. Standing on the other side of the man on the ground, the familiar face of Raiken, one of the dead that served as a crucial component in the energy that kept Korra in existence. His eyes glowed.

"What are you doing to him?" Korra asked. Raiken took no notice.

"Get up," Raiken said to the body on the ground. The man struggling to breath, got to his knees in a very irregular, forced way. "Bow to me."

The man obeyed.

"What is this?"

"You see," Raiken said, looking at Korra. "He does everything that I tell him to. This power, your power, knows no limit."

Korra watched the man struggling to stop bowing, hating that he was doing this against his will.

_Against his will…_

_What is that?_

_You are controlling his physical motion, but you do this against his will. He struggles to get free. Struggles to reverse what you are doing. You have not changed him, you have only made him appear to be changed. You said it. You have given him this life. He has free will. You cannot change free will. The only way to change it at all is to get rid of it. Get rid of it and give it back in a new world with new objects that will affect a new society. A society you can only hope will grow and evolve into the one you want, but not one you can absolutely predict. Absolutely control. Such a society would not exist, and yet you try to make it. You strive for so much order but will always lose to chaos._

Korra was losing herself in all of this. Daya was becoming less of an enemy. She forgot about the earth she came from. It was nothing more than a small speckle of dust in the chaotic cosmos of existence. Daya, some cluster of energy randomly forming together, trying to control the uncontrollable force that created her. And where did Korra rest in all of this? She, a product of this Spirit wanting to issue order on chaos. Was she, too, destined to become the same kind of being? Just like Koh said. Was this a battle against Daya? Or against herself?

_It was always about control. It was always about creation and power and order. Even with you. You are no better. You have failed to see that in this chaos, we came upon something unexplainable. Something which has no order to it. It is uncontrollable and has bound us together: love. But you cannot understand such a thing. And your confusion turns to anger, and anger turns into hatred, and when backed by this power over the cosmos, it leads to violence. _

The walls of the cave cracked loudly and broke apart. Behind the walls was a starry night sky. The rocks broke apart gently and revolved around the platform on which Daya and Korra stood. Daya did not reply to Korra's words. The floating rocks surround the two recombined around Daya, forming a barrier between her and Korra. Other rocks were set ablaze, and as the ashes landed around them they became blades of grass. Daya creating a new environment around them. Korra drew her sword, but not before Daya had burst out of her armor of rock, taking on the appearance of a young woman, her sword colliding with Korra's sword and knocking her off the platform and into the grass.

Korra shot upward to her feet but saw that she was looking at a reflection of herself. An exact reflection. Daya had taken the latest form of her incarnation in the physical world.

Daya had become Korra.

_The line begins to blur between who we are. Between where we are different. It becomes unclear. Your goals and mine. Your beliefs against those that I have held to be true. Your anger, my anger. Your origins. And mine._

The swords continued to clash, continued to make the only noise among the silence of this distant place as even the words exchanged between the two were never spoken. Energy scattering off of them as they made contact. The sound echoing and fading into the infinite abyss all around them. The infinite meadow stretching off into endless darkness.

Korra felt she was being overpowered by Daya. By herself. By this other Korra dealing blow after blow. Burst after burst of energy. She felt the heat of the two blades clashing. She sensed the energy and thoughts radiating off of Daya and recognized them immediately as her own energy and thoughts. Just being reflected back to her. Fighting nothing but herself.

_What are you trying to do to me? What are you trying to prove? _

_Who is the 'you' that you are asking?_

_I'm talking to you. The one before me. Attacking me._

_That would be yourself. Attacking yourself._

_No. You are not me. You are not._

_But I am you. We share the same thoughts. The same memories. The same feelings. How can we be different if we are the same in every way?._

Korra backed away. She knew it was not true. The other Korra drove her sword into the ground and ignited the cosmic energy underneath her feet, setting off a series of very loud explosions around where Korra was standing. The blast sounds were quickly muted, sucked into the silence of the void. Korra dodged each one, but her attacker pressed on through the flames after her.

Korra felt helpess. She felt alone and scared and summoned the only thing that gave her power. That allowed her to stand up against this oppressor. She drew in cosmic energy from all ends of the Spirit World. She felt the surges more powerful than ever and tried to channel it into some kind of powerful attack. Her green-eyed mirror-self stopped before her and smiled. Korra became confused, and focused harder on the energy flowing through her. She started to feel her immediate environment detach from her. All sound compressed and siphoned away. Her lungs filling with something thick like water. A saturation of cosmic energy. The power transmitting across her fingertips...

And then she felt something. Something beginning to form in front of her from nothing but only her two hands. Something pulsing periodically, sending shockwaves throughout the space she was in.

A heartbeat. In her efforts to channel the cosmic energy into its ultimate form, she created life with only her two hands.

Korra backed away. Trembling. The process not completed, Korra's abandonment caused the life to be not fully be created. As if she had seen a window into the future of what was about to be, but stopped before it was, returning back to the place she had just been. Sitting in the grass, horrified at what she was about to do.

_What were you about to do?_

_Create a life. Bring a living creature into the middle of this._

_So?_

_I have no right to do that. I have no right to tamper with life. No one does. Even if they do…it find its own way around their control._

_What is so important about this? What is the significance? Why care so much? If we create them, why can't we use them? Why can't we control them? Why can't we destroy them?_

_There is no way to explain it. There is no way to make you understand. Not through words. Not through proofs and systems and models and theories. There is only one way to make you see it. You brought me here so I could serve as a demonstration to you. A demonstration of how we have failed. To demonstrate that we have given up everything to the acquisition of power. Of control. But I have come for a different reason. The only way to make you understand, to set us free, is through your death._

_You know it is not my death. It is our death._

_I know. _

_You would die for these people? For this race that embraces evil?_

_Some of them do. Some are misguided. Some of them remove our value. But those that don't, those that love and embrace life and create, their value cannot be undone. Cannot be cancelled out. Cannot be lost in the absence of evil. _

_You believe this?_

_Yes._

The space was filled with the glowing green of Daya's eyes illuminating within the darkness. Watching Korra, but seeing the original creation speaking to her. The very first avatar that had ever existed. The direct descendent of Daya.

Daya saw Oni, and it was Oni that Daya heard speaking to her.

_Mother. I have been among these people. Grown because of them. Learned from them. Learned only things one can learn from being one of them. I feel their pain, their joy, I laugh with them, cry with them, hold them, love them. I am them, and they are me. I was born from you, but I have been molded by them. I am ready. Willing. To give up my existence. To separate these two worlds. For that is the right thing to do._

_My Oni. You have not been lost. You have been changed, but not lost._

Korra was now looking at this girl. At Oni before her. The girl about her height. The girl with short black hair and green eyes. Dark skin. She looked no different than any girl Korra would have seen on the street. But it was her. Oni. The girl locked within Korra for so long. Changing her. Changing Daya. Destroying her hopes for a world with order, a world she could control, a world without chaos, with absolute control, and inevitably, without freedom. Without life.

Brought down to her lowest point, so that she was open to the greatest change.

_Do it, Oni. It is the only way to stop it. It is the only way to right this eternity of wrong. There will be no strife. There will be no hatred. It is the only way._

Korra slowly drew her sword fashioned by the first world. She channeled her energy into her hands, preparing herself for draining, the technique discovered by the second world.

_Will these green eyes be the last thing I ever see…?_

Korra drove the sword into Daya.

As soon as it happened, Korra saw it. The SPORE burst into dust. The Spirits heading for the portals were halted. The energy opening the entrances between the two worlds beginning to diminish.

The effects were instantaneous. A storm of green energy erupted from Daya as Korra impaled her with the clasma-infused sword. She felt the draining process occurring. The energy that kept Daya together as an entity travelling up the blade. Beginning to break the sword. Cracks forming, glowing green. Daya moaned as her life force was drained from her, and Korra prepared for her own life to end as well.

But in the midst of this cosmic energy storm, Korra realized that she was overpowering the most powerful entity in all time and space. The entity born from nothing but chaos. The entity that she was created to replicate. Absolute power, it belonged to her as well, and with Daya gone, it would only belong to her. As the cosmic energy travelled up the sword, Korra was possessed by the realization of the things she could do with it. She could make her own worlds. Her own universes. Establish her own rules. Watch a society grow, then end it to build a new one. Perhaps it was Oni that chose to give her life for the human race, but was it Korra that did it as well? It was unclear to her who made the choice. It was unclear why this power was given to her. It was unclear if it would benefit the world more if she had complete control over it. Confusion. Anger. Hatred. Violence.

Daya felt the power leave her and Korra absorb it.

_So the cycle continues. So my creation proves the inevitable. That power takes precedence…_

Korra did not die. Did not disappear. Did not stop existing as she expected once she subdued Daya. She was taking her power from her. Using it for herself. Becoming the very thing she had come here to end.

_You are not becoming me. You were always me. You…_

But something cut off Daya's transmission. Something that knocked Korra's concentration from stealing Daya's power. From becoming a God. Something which sounded like a breath. A sigh. The sigh of a woman in pain, or the sigh of a woman accepting death. Or the sigh of a woman who had gone through something difficult.

Korra thought she saw this woman. This woman looked a lot like her, only older. She was exhausted. Tired. Ill. Fatigued. But she smiled nevertheless. Because in her arms slept a rather large, baby girl. Sleeping peacefully as the baby's mother provided a comfort that was irreplaceable. The woman holding the baby looked to Korra and spoke to her.

"I had only just met you, and I loved you more than anything. And I always will…"

_But why? Who are you? And why should I care? Why do I care?_

Korra could feel the woman. Feel her heartbeat. Feel her emotions. The woman could hear her, see her, and Korra knew it.

Korra didn't want the woman to leave, but when she did, another woman came into view. She was a young girl, lying in the grass. The sigh of acceptance. Acceptance of her own fate. That she was going to die, that she had lost all connection with who she was and would never remember, but in spite of all that, held on to the one thing she knew was true. Held on to that feeling of love, a different yet similar kind of love than the mother had shown. A passionate love. A relentless love. That even though death was upon this girl, she would never let go of this feeling. This feeling that Korra felt so strongly that it burned everything inside of her and made her grit her teeth out of anger for herself for nearly losing herself in the infinite span of the cosmos.

She was not Daya. They were not the same entity.

_"_No!" Korra yelled. The voice reverberated around the void. Daya looked up, fear in her eyes. Hearing Korra's voice for the first time. "Yes. Hear my voice. I am not the continuation of your cycle. I am not your demonstration of the human race's failure, and I am not the humans race's demonstration of your failure. I was not born from you. I was not born a Spirit. I was born from Senna and Tonraq of the South Pole. I was born a human. Not an Avatar to serve the humans. Not an incarnation of you that is no different than you. No, I am not defined by you. I am not defined by the Avatar. I am not defined by my power. I am just a human, I am only Korra. And I am only defined by Korra."

The last of Daya's energy drained into the sword. At the completion of the process, the sword shattered, the cosmic energy that once comprised Daya began to diffuse back into the cosmos. But before it did, Korra used whatever strength she had to harness it. Keeping the Spirits of the Dead working to hold her bonds to existence together once again for just a little longer.

Absorbing Daya's power. Not to create life. Not to end it. Not to become the next absolute ruler.

Korra had one final reason to exist. One final person to find and set free.

_Asami. I haven't forgotten you. I am coming back for you._


	63. Out of Eden Pt 2: A New Era

-Out of Eden Part 2: A New Era-

The skies above Daya's Tower opened up. The city of metal blocks around the tower cackled loudly like thunder. The auroras faded away, the energy holding the portals open now depleting. Wind congested with the black dust of the dead SPORE swept across the plains of the Spirit World.

In the sea of so many clashing identities, Asami could no longer stand. She had only enough energy to hold on to this one last feeling, this last trace of the person she had once been.

_There was a name._

_No name! Never a name. His name. The one who kills. The one who lies. Who brings death. My name._

_No. Listen to me. It was a name. A girl's name._

Asami's alternate personalities continued to argue with her.

_You've always been alone. Abandoned. Forgotten here. Worthless trying. They were so kind to me, and then, they turned on me. Pitiful._

_Not pitiful. Not abandoned. I can see it. I can see her._

Asami looked up at the towering, skyscraping Spirits which had now reached her. They may have meant to take her, to hurt her, simply step on her as they went on their way to the physical world. But something stopped them. Asami was watching the skies above them, the bright light shining down, some kind of force pulling everything up. The Spirits were merely sucked upwards, into this new portal. And Asami was about to find out where it led. Back home? Or somewhere even further away. She felt her clothes and skins being tugged, stretching out as something from above pulled at it. Pulling at every microscopic component of her anatomy.

Asami wanted it to end. The voices in her head. The different motives controlling her conscience. The layers of fabric wrapping and concealing her true identity.

The light intensified from the sky, and within it, she thought she saw the silhouette of an angel. Wings outstretched. Arms open, ready to receive her. Made of nothing but light. Grabbing Asami's hand and pulling her, at last, to peace.

_Just take me. Korra. Just take me._

Asami gasped. The air left her lungs so quickly, like something had hit her. But with all the air leaving her, so did all the fake memories. So did all the false identities.

All the Clasma. Gone. Drained.

_I am…Asami._

The light faded. Asami was able to open her eyes to see this angel without being blinded. Its features came into view. She made out every component of the face and body. Water streaming down from the eyes. The glowing, blue eyes, abundant with compassion, with love. Behind her, the light continued to fade and materialize into the interior walls of a cave lit by the bright sunlight coming through cave's opening onto the cliff of some kind of hill.

"Asami…is it you…," Korra said, but before she even finished asking, Asami rose up and hugged her closest friend. Her true love.

"Thank you…Korra."

"I think I am the one who should be thanking you, Asami."

Asami hugged tighter, closing her eyes, her head next to Korra's.

"I didn't think I would make it. I was so ready to die, Korra."

"But you didn't. You were strong. You kept alive your love, for me, for your mother, for everything, you held onto it despite the poison within you. I felt it. I felt it so intensely. It led me back to you."

Asami opened her eyes and looked at the walls. They all had writing on them. Crude drawings of human-like figures. Languages she could not read. All mysterious, yet familiar. She looked to where the source of light was coming from and saw the cliff side where she and Korra had once spent the entire night together. Just beyond the threshold of this cliff, there was no land, no mountains, only the bright light from the Spirit World below, the dark clouds still presiding over the physical world above them, and something else. Asami felt the eyes of the massive beast watching her.

The eyes of CHAOS. Its enormous body descending before them out of the darkness in the sky, watching them, but slowly dissolving into nothing as the Spirit World drifted further away from the physical world. Loud cracks like thunder as each component of the beast came apart and disintegrated.

"Korra…" Asami said, gesturing toward the beast of a vessel being pulled apart. "It's disappearing." Asami and Korra both stood, still holding each other. The process hastened as the last of the portals to the Spirit World closed up. Chain reactions of flares across the surface of the beast's body sounding like gunfire. Asami gasped in joy in seeing the destructive force which threatened to end all humanity slowly fade away into oblivion. She ran to the edge of the cliff.

The light was so intense. She felt they had not quite reached the physical world yet. This mountain. The mountain was significant. Still connecting the two worlds. The last portal. The relic lasting throughout time. At the precipice of the cliff, Asami squinted through the brightness and watched as CHAOS exploded into thousands of shooting stars, all ascending into the sky and dissolving the darkness above them. They burst through the dark clouds too allow the light through, overpowering the darkness. The view became drastically brighter.

CHAOS was no more.

Asami rejoiced to herself. She looked into the bright abyss of the Spirit World. Soon she would be back in the physical world. Soon she would be safe. Soon she would finally be able to be with the woman she loved. She turned to Korra who was behind her and looked at her with an excited smile, but the happiness in her face began to drown in horror at what she saw.

Korra had fallen to her hands and knees. Unable to stand. Breathing heavily. Trembling in pain. In fear.

"Korra!" Asami ran to her and bent down to hold Korra in her arms. "Korra? Korra what is happening? What is wrong?"

Korra struggled to speak. "I'm just…cold. That's all."

"Korra you can't stand. You're shaking!"

Korra slowly moved her hand up to look at it, but it felt so heavy. She felt so weak. "I thought I'd be more prepared for this when it finally happened."

Asami wanted to ask what she was talking about, but she realized it before she did. She remembered what Korra had told her before she ascended up to Daya's lair. She remembered the pain from Korra telling her that once she had defeated Daya and this had ended, that she would cease to exist. How that moment was the last time Asami was going to see Korra's face. "But you came back…I got to see you again…How can that be?"

"You brought me here. You never let go. And I didn't…I didn't just long enough so that I could save you. Bring you back here...to the physical world. To your life. But…I can't do this any longer. I can't keep myself together. I've stolen this power. It does not belong to me. I have kept the Spirits of the Dead working long enough to preserve my existence. The last step to freeing humanity is the Avatar's extinction. It is the only way…"

"No…" Asami cried, refusing to let this happen. Refusing to let the last thing she truly loved escape as everything seemed to have done her whole life. "Please. It doesn't have to be this way. Even if the Avatar has to go, why does Korra have to go? Why do you have to leave me?"

Korra sighed, tears streaming down her face as well. But she was calm. She had accepted this, and even though it was hard, she was happy to be in the presence of the woman she cared about the most. She felt her body grow weaker. No longer able to feel her legs. The Spirits holding her in existence leaving to rest. The voices in the walls of the cave fading away as sleep and peace was finally given to the dead.

"I'm sorry, Asami. I'm sorry we couldn't be together in this life. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you away from everything, to that quiet meadow where we could just lie together and be happy. I'm sorry…"

"I don't think I can go on without you, Korra. I don't want to."

"You have to. You've seen the darkest evils of this world. They have tried to shape you, but you have resisted them…You have fought through the pain. You are strong and compassionate. You are what this world needs to survive."

Asami felt Korra becoming colder. Her skin becoming slightly more pale. Losing its life. The radiance in her eyes fading. Korra reached up to touch Asami face.

"You will never be without me, Asami. Death is just an illusion. As long as your memories live, as long as you never forget the connections you've made, we never really die. We are present in everything, everywhere.

Korra heard the teardrops hit the ground. They seemed so loud to her. They fell from the most important person in her life. They splashed louder than anything else.

"I love you, Korra."

Korra's heart beat slightly faster at this. Korra summoned the energy from the dead once more, giving her enough strength to reach Asami's face with her lips for one last kiss. They both wanted this, and they wanted it to last forever, but it could not. Korra's head fell back into Asami's lap. Her eyes felt like ice. She could not move her head. She only looked up.

_So this is death…_

In her last moments, Korra knew she was cold, but her soul was warm. Warm with the love of those she had met in her life. Warm with the relationships she shared with so many wonderful, friendly, caring people that had shaped her and supported her. Warm with the passion of being with the woman she loved, of having one last kiss.

Korra smiled.

Her eyes continued to stare at the ceiling of the cave, but Asami knew that the life within them was long gone. But Korra still lay there, smiling. Happy. Free.

Asami wiped her eyes and struggled to smile as well, as Korra would have wanted. Before her, beyond the cliff, something was happening. A landscape was coming into view. The light beneath the mountain faded and materialized into plains, into mountains and a horizon. The light above the mountain isolating the single point of a rising sun over the newly formed mountain. The newly formed world.

_The new world. The beautiful world. Her world. And mine. All of ours…_

"I promised… that I would come back with you. And we would see this beautiful world together…"

Asami realized what the scene before her had become. It stretched as a far as she could see. It was a meadow. An infinite meadow. She remembered this place, but this was different. This was new. One last gift to this planet from the one who had saved them all. Asami walked to the edge of the cliff to look.

"It's so…beautiful." Asami turned to where Korra's body was lying in the cave only to see that it had disappeared. When she quickly turned back around, she saw something on the horizon of the meadow. A silhouette of some large creature, like a bear with a wagging tail, and what looked like a person standing next to it. A girl.

Korra and Naga.

_You are here. With me. Watching this together…_

Even as a shadow, a silhouette, Asami could tell that Korra was no longer wearing the battered and beaten clothes she had been wearing before. She wore a dress blowing freely in the wind. Barefoot. Unarmed. Hair down. Finally free. She climbed onto the back of Naga. Asami stared for so long that she could not tell when Korra had fully disappeared.

_She didn't disappear. She is here. Present in everything. Everywhere._

Asami turned to go back into the cave. The cave once burning with the lives of the past, now calm and dormant. Asleep. As she walked through corridor in the mountain top, she noticed the drawings had changed slightly. As if they had moved aside for a new one. Above the exit to the other side of the mountain, Asami saw a drawing which she was sure was new. It was a woman with long hair. She was standing before a large circle with a smaller circle inscribed within it, and she was hand-in-hand with another woman. There was no color to it, no structure, just an etching on a rock, but Asami saw it so clearly. As if it was real, right in front of her. She could even feel the hands holding hers.

It was her. It was Korra and Asami. Together. Despite their boundaries. Despite the gap between their worlds, they were still together.

Always together.


	64. The Legend

**/*Update 6/6: for those that enjoyed this, I am writing another story. A fanfic, about Legend of Korra. Same writing style but different storytelling style. Won't be nearly as long as this one (a shorter story, not an epic-ish thing.) It will be set in the same universe as this story and season 1 of the show, but it will take place before the events of season 1.**

**It will chronicle some important events in Lin's and Toph's lives. Just some interesting story ideas i had for those two, ideas about her upbringing, her father, and her scars and things like that. **

**should be done soon! Probably going to name is 'Scars' I think, even though that title is probably way overused by now.**

***/**

-The Legend—

The Chief surveyed the city from the annex above the train station. Once again on her feet, fully revived, standing tall, presiding over her city, over her people that she had given everything to protect.

They had made it.

Calls were coming in from ONI bases from other parts of the planet over the radios. Transmissions now making it through with the fall of CHAOS. Reports of several other cities being hit with smaller attacks from SPORE around the time Republic City was under siege. Reports of lost soldiers and casualties, but also of heroes and the many survivors. Reports on how these towns across the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation had held up against the SPORE until the enemy suddenly disintegrated into nothing and the sky was clear again.

Lin sighed of relief, scared to hear that other towns had been hit, but glad that the majority of them had pulled through. The breath caused pain in her chest. Lin filled up a small glass of whiskey with ice and sipped on it, hoping to ease the discomfort. It would be a long road for her. She would have to travel to many places to ensure they got back on their feet quickly after this ordeal. But for now, she was just happy to know that there were still humans elsewhere. That the human race was victorious.

That they were safe. Free.

"Ms. Bei Fong," the young girl asked her when she was in the hospital, after Lin realized that the SPORE were gone and CHAOS and vanished. The young girl was accompanied by a twin sister who finished the question, "Is it safe?"

"Safe for what?" Lin asked.

"Safe to go outside again?" they said in unison.

Lin heard silence. No more gunfire. No more explosions. No more violence or screaming or pain or death. The sun pierced through the dark clouds.

"Yes. I believe it is."

"Ms. Bei Fong," said a different voice. Now in the present. The male voice of General Iroh accompanied by Commander Bumi. Lin sipped on her drink and watched out the window, looking over the statue of Zuko. In her other hand, she fiddled with the rock bracelet she was wearing upon her awakening.

"What did you find, men?"

"Several things, actually," Iroh said. He held out objects wrapped in a cloth. Unveiling them, Lin saw that he had found a Water Tribe Betrothal Necklace and a boomerang.

"Well, I'll be damned," Bumi said upon recognizing the necklace and boomerang to belong to his mother and uncle. "They _were_ here, weren't they?"

"I knew I saw him," Iroh said, looking out the window at the statue. "They came back to help us."

Lin looked at the rock bracelet her mother had given her. "Yes. They did." Lin suddenly realized what must have happened now that this was over. "Iroh. Your…everyone's bending?"

"She was right," he replied. "It's gone. From everyone. All benders."

Lin wasn't sure if she should be sympathetic toward him or not.

"Bending or not," Bumi said, "we are still human, and we are still here. Chief Bei Fong, I think it is time you take back this city, and help us rebuild this world."

* * *

_Lin stood before the courthouse. Some time had passed since the battles had ended. The flashes of cameras and microphones mounted to the podium before her. Crowds of refugees and soldiers gathered in the streets, reveling in their freedom, some awed by their loss of bending. An entire new way of life to adapt._

_Lin took the stage, and silence swept through the crowds. Even the paparazzi was silent upon the sight of her. _

_The Woman Who Defied Death._

_"Republic of Nations," Lin spoke. "This is your Chief, Lin Bei Fong, speaking from Republic City to say that we are still standing. Despite the corruption of Graft and his mission to control us through his Clasma, despite the hordes of assassins sent from the world beyond to rid this planet of us, we are strong, we are determined and brave and fearless, and we are still standing._

_"The path we have travelled to get here was not easy, and it was not without its losses, none of which should be forgotten. The bravery of our soldiers, nothing more than humans like you and me, allowed us and our families to make it to this point. Allowed us to finally be free from the ones that wished to control us. It was not the act of some higher power. It was not sheer luck or pity that the Spirits had. It was only us. Humans. We were victorious with our sacrifice and our perseverance. We demonstrated just how dedicated we are to this race. To each other. To this planet. To our lives. We showed the Spirits that bending, this power over the elements, means nothing to us when the lives of our loved ones are threatened. It was this, as I shall call it, human power, this human ability, that saved us. Our will to live, to survive, our desire to find meaning in our lives and in our relationships with others. That is what brought about the peace and permanent separation between us and the Spirits. _

_"The future now is tough, but it is bright, and for now, while I think we may rejoice in our victory, we should also step back and look at why we were the target of such hatred from the Spirits in the first place. I ask of you to remember, when you find yourself in a position of power, what about your life is most important to you, and make sure that you have a head unclouded with distraction from the true value of life when you answer that question. Because those same values are held to the same degree by everyone around you, and they deserve to be respected._

_"From here, we begin a new day. A new life. A life without bending. It will be different. It will be difficult. We may reject it at first, but we are humans. The qualities of the once Four Nations exist within us all. I see you all, and I see a human. No matter the difference. No matter the origin or the gender or the age. I see a human. A human that is driven and motivated to survive and achieve what they want. A human that will not abandon another, that will be strong and persistent against opposition. A human that is free of the body and mind and will not allow power and material possessions to blind them from the truth. And a human that can adapt to these new changes in our society, and work as a community to bring a better future. A future where we are not guided by our bending, where the Spirits do not hold our hands, but a future where we define our own destinies, our own strengths, and we achieve them ourselves."_

The flying bison soared across the ocean, tired from the weight of its four passengers as it traversed to the South Pole. Tenzin made sure to stop and help any injured survivors from the battles with the Spirit World.

"The Southern Water Tribe is just ahead. I hope you are all ready for this. It will be more difficult than you think," Tenzin said.

Mako, Bolin, and Asami took deep breaths, but looked to their destination with courage and determination. They came all this way for a reason. The request of their lost friend. A respect that was the least they could do.

"We owe this to her," Mako said.

"No way we are backing out of this," Bolin said.

"That's right. We are family," Asami said.

_"Among many, there is, however, one woman who I believe deserves to be recognized. A woman who was born into a life that was laid out for her from birth, by both this society and by the Spirits. A life of servitude to the balance of this world. A life she accepted, even after she had lost that which we all believed allowed her to successfully carry out this task._

_"Korra, from the Southern Water Tribe, was a dear friend of mine. She never asked for the life she was given, but she took the responsibility into her hands. And she never let it go, not even when the world had forgotten her, not even when her bending was taken, not even when the Spirits, the ones responsible for her existence, commanded her to be the bearer of destruction to this world. Korra refused to give up, on us or the Spirit World. She sought peace between the two. She refused her fate, but she realized that in order to keep us alive, in order to achieve this peace, she would have to die._

_"I do not contradict what I said earlier. It was the humans, all of you, that saved us from this attack. Korra felt the strength and determination you possessed, and was moved by it. So moved that she abandoned her title. Rejected her mission on this planet in order to free us and allow us to live in peace. Korra knew that in order to do this, she would have to separate the two worlds, causing her own life to end. But she never gave it a second thought. Never turned her back on us. Her resolve was strong. And because of that, we are here today. We are alive. We are still humans, and we are free."_

The door opened slowly. The Water Tribe Warrior, spear in hand, looked out to see the four travelers standing in the attack stance loosened. He stood up straight and looked relieved to see faces that he recognized.

"You are Korra's friends aren't you?" Tonraq said. "Been hectic around here with the dark skies lately. We thought Spirits were coming through to get us but they never seemed to reach here."

"It was true," Mako said. "The Spirits did attack."

"Many cities have been ravaged because of these wars. Many have been killed," Tenzin said, before trailing off, fearing he had said the wrong thing. Behind Tonraq, Senna had walked out from the kitchen holding a pot with some food in it and watched the four outside the door, silent. They didn't realize how long she had been standing there.

"What do you mean," Tonraq said, looking at the four. Senna's grip on her pot weakened as her eyes watered. "Where is Korra?" Tonraq asked.

"Tonraq, Senna," Tenzin continued, "The warfare is over. The Spirits have retreated and left us at peace. I wanted to tell you this so everyone in this village knows that they are safe. And also the reason we are safe: Your daughter."

"Korra saved us," Asami said. "She ended it. She knew she had to do it. The war is over because of her."

Tonraq or Senna didn't say anything. Senna's grip weakened too much and the pot fell from her hands to the floor, shattering.

"Yes," Tenzin said. The group was startled by the sound of the pot smashing. Tenzin was aware that Korra's parents knew what he was about to tell them, but they stood there, frozen awaiting the news. It was almost too hard for him to say, but he knew he had to do it. He knew he was the only one who could. "Unfortunately things do not always go the way we would prefer. Korra risked everything and saved us. In the process of doing so, however, she had to give herself up so that we could live. I'm very sorry to have to tell this to you..."

Senna fell to her knees. Tonraq was immediately next to her, holding her as she cried in his arms. Korra's friends approached to comfort the mother and father for their loss. Asami had never heard a woman weep so hard. She could not imagine the loss of such a thing. She could not imagine what it must have been like knowing their daughter was the Avatar, knowing their daughter would always be in the face of danger throughout her whole life. Asami wished it had never been that way. She wished Korra was born into a world where the Avatar did not exist, where she wouldn't have to sacrifice her own life in order for others to live, where she could be happy being alive, living her life the way she wanted. Where she could spend time with her mother and father and make them happy as well. Make them proud, and they could watch her grow and mature and find her own way.

Asami wondered if there was some other universe where she wasn't here to tell Korra's parents of their daughter's death. But rather, she was here, with Korra, being introduced to these same parents as the one Korra chose to fall in love with. Perhaps as Korra's wife. She wanted to be here for that instead, because even though the idea of revealing the truth about their love was scary to her, she would be brave and comforted with Korra at her side.

But this was the reality she had to cope with. The reality she had fallen into. And she would have to be brave on her own. She had come here to fulfill one of Korra's final wishes. That evening, Asami found Senna alone in her room, sitting on her bed and staring out the window facing the mountains and the water. The auroras colored the sky, like the energy bands holding the portals open between the worlds. Asami was too hesitant to speak with Korra's mother before after the news was revealed, but she knew she had to do this before departing the next day.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Senna?" Asami said. "There's something I came here to tell you."

Asami heard that Senna was hardly crying anymore. The tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away, but was only breathing calmly, unable to shed any more.

"Please, come in. Sit down," Senna said politely. Asami felt safe being here. She felt unafraid, for these were the people who had molded the woman she fell in love with. "Your name is Asami, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Asami said, smiling. Senna smiled at her as well. Asami took the seat on the bed next to Korra's mother, feeling privileged at having the chance to speak with this woman.

"You know, I always had the thought in the back of my mind that this day would come earlier than I wanted it to. The fact that I was scared every day that it would come while I was still alive…it was too much to bear. I started getting ready for it, knowing that she was out there doing good, but at the same time being in so much danger. I tried to prepare myself, tried to be realistic, but it's never what you expect. You realize you can never be strong and held together for something like this, even when I knew what had happened before you even arrived. I just didn't want to believe it."

"She spoke to you, didn't she?"

Senna smiled and nodded. "Yes. We all knew something terrible was happening when the skies turned black. We feared for our lives. But just before it cleared, before anything came for us, I heard her. I heard her speak to me. I felt her hands holding mine. I felt the warmth, and I knew it was her. I knew it was my Korra. And I was reassured that we were going to be okay. That she was protecting us. I felt so close to her. To everything she was feeling, to her fears and doubts, to her thoughts and emotions. Everything about her, all of it told me I would be safe. I knew what the implication was. The condition. The fact she was trying to hide but was so easy to see: Korra was not coming back. I knew it then, right at that moment when I felt her, I knew it when you showed up, I know it now. There is no point in wishing it could be undone. I'll have to accept the truth, but it is never that easy for the one who watched her grow up to be the strong woman she became."

Senna was silent for a while. Asami spoke up to break it, "I cared about her. So much. I never thought I would meet anyone as amazing as your daughter. Someone who also cared about me more than anyone I have ever known in my life since the passing of my own mother. I lost something, a vital piece about myself when my mother died, but Korra reignited it. She somehow brought it back from the dead, and I never felt more like myself than when I was with her. I never felt happier, more free, able to do anything. I couldn't bear to see her go, even when I found out what would happen to her, when I found out that she had known her fate going into this. I tried to stop it. I sacrificed myself for her, but she always came back for me. She never forgot me. She was…is the most genuine person I know. She trusted me and…I…I held her in my arms when she died. She had preserved herself, using all her energy to do so just to bring me back to this world," Asami started to cry again as she retold the story she had to tell. "She told me she was happy. She told me she was glad to be with me at that moment. She told me she would always be with me. When she had finally passed, there was a smile on her face. She truly _was_ happy."

Senna was crying again as well. She had no idea that Asami had been there at Korra's death like that. The two hugged and cried together for several minutes, feeling close in their bond with Korra.

"She wanted me to come here," Asami said. "To tell you how much you meant to her. That she was sorry she had to go, to leave this world, but that she loved you."

Senna rose and walked to the window. She smiled again, watching the stars and auroras dancing above her home. "I am glad. Glad that Korra had the privilege of spending her last moments with someone like you, Asami. I truly am. I am thankful that someone so loving and caring held her, and that she was at peace when the time came. You don't understand how much that means to me. I think you helped her just as she helped you, and that was why she died in peace. Ever since Korra was a girl, she was forced into the life of the Avatar, beginning her training at such an early age. I am not sure she ever thought how the choice of the life she wanted to live was taken from her. I wanted her to be happy, and was never able to tell if the life of the Avatar was truly making her happy. I could never tell if she was doing because she felt she had to, was expected to, not because she wanted to. These were never thoughts of mine until one day when she was younger and she was telling me all about her day training with one of the elements. She asked me:

'Mom? I thought of something kind of weird today,' Korra asked.

'What was that, honey?'

'Well, not that I'd ever do this, but what if I just left? What if I just told the White Lotus that I didn't want to be the Avatar. That I'd rather not learn about the four elements and the Spirit World. That I'd rather just be a regular Southern Water Tribe girl? I doubt they'd just be okay with that.'

'Hm, I am not sure.'

'There's no way they'd let me…'

Senna sighed in her room. "I truly was not sure. I didn't think of it then, but over time the question weighted on my mind. The trace of some desire hidden within her to escape a life planned for her. I didn't know it, and maybe she didn't know it then either, but I think it was there. The wish to be free, to make her own life. The seed of this thought which slowly grew over time, especially when she left and saw the rest of the world. Upon Korra's return, I could tell this idea had overtaken her mind. The question of our own freedom, the question of her freedom. Wondering if she could ever be free to do what she wanted or if she would always be controlled by her title of the Avatar, if everyone in the world would always be defined by their power, by their bending, be forced to do what they were meant to do and not what they wanted to do. She may not have known it, but Korra sought to break this standard, to free everyone from this predestination. To allow us to make our own futures. And to do so, she would have to renounce her title as the Avatar, become something else in order to serve the cause that she, not us, not the Spirits, believed was right. And she did. She saved us, not as the Avatar, not as a bender, but as Korra."

Asami did not know what to say. Senna kept turning over in her head the things that she felt when Korra came to her just before she died.

"Korra told me about you, Asami. Just before the clouds disappeared, just before she died and she visited me, she told me about the one she had fallen in love with. She did, you know? She was very much in love with you."

"I'm sorry," Asami said, not knowing how Korra's mother would react to her daughter being the way she was.

"There is no need to apologize, Asami. I am not upset, I am happy. I am happy that my daughter found someone strong and compassionate like yourself." Senna hugged Asami again, this time to comfort her. Asami realized how hard it must have been for Korra to leave all of this. Realized why Korra was the free-spirited girl she was, the girl who only chose to see others for who they truly were. Because of the parents that raised her, these people who were so accepting, who did not judge but rather welcomed despite the way Asami was. Hugging Korra's mother, she felt like she was hugging her own. It felt comforting. It felt right.

"I'm going to miss her so much," Asami said.

"Me too," Senna replied. "I am going to miss seeing her, hearing her, but I don't think I can ever stop feeling her next to me, holding my hand, watching over me. Over the past few days, the feeling of her warmth and comfort have not left me. They still exist, because I still remember her. The memories and the relationship we had still survive, and because of that, so does she. She never truly leaves us unless we forget her, unless we forget what she and I shared. That bond can never be broken, and so we are always connected. I hear her when I wake up. I feel her when I go outside and look at the snow, the mountains, the sky, the water, the sun, the moon and the stars. I see her when I look at Tonraq, and when I look at you. She is present in everything that reminds us that we are still alive because of her. Her love for you was so strong that it can' t possibly be destroyed by something like death. She will be with you for as long as you remember what you two shared. Always together."

_Always together. Always with me. Blowing my hair in the wind. Heating me with the sun and cooling me with the snow. Watching over me from the stars. Comforting me when I am scared and hugging me when I am happy. I will never forget what you have done for me, Korra. I will always love you._

_"Korra was the embodiment of our strengths. The embodiment of our true power. A power that still lives within all of us, keeping her and all those that have died for us alive. A legend that can never be forgotten, for to be forgotten is to truly die. And that will never happen. Korra told me that she did not want to be our savior. She did not want to be remembered as one who single-handedly saved the world. She told me she was not, told me that this world was saved by each and every one of you. That we do not need to rely on an all-powerful being to save us. Korra may have not wanted to be remembered as a savior, but I believe she must be remembered as a symbol, a reminder, of our strength, of our potential, of our determination. That this is our world, and that when we stand together as humans, we can accomplish anything. She showed this to us not as an Avatar, not as a bender, but as nothing more than a young girl whose name was Korra."_

**The end.**

**/*Welp that is it. Thanks for all those who read it all, especially the guest reviewer who always has a different guest name and praises these chapters. Big shoutout to that person cuz you rock. **

**I may be back to edit this story a bit and maybe post a few small things relating to this story like vignettes of other characters. Hope it was enjoyable. I enjoyed writing it. **

**'Tiny Anthem' by The M Machine is a song that I liked listening to while writing this, which I think goes along well with this story.**

**till next time. peace. */**


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